There Ain't No Cure For The Summertime Blues

Of all the plagues that heaven hath sent,
A wasp is most impertinent.'
-Unknown

Remember how warm it got here on Tuesday? I thought it would be a good idea to get my patio umbrella out and sit under it reading. I got it and the stand out of the garage and started setting up. When I got the umbrella open I looked up and saw the remains of three wasp nest on the underside. I thought the best way to remove them was to hose them off. When I returned after hooking the hose up to the water faucet I saw that the outside of the umbrella had about ten wasp nest glued to the fabric. I had not seen them when I first brought the umbrella outside because they had been hidden in the folds between the ribs.

Although I knew these were Mud Dauber nests, the idea of them being there freaked me out. I am allergic to wasps venom and the thought of any wasp being anywhere near me gives me the heebie-jeebies. I also know mud daubers rarely sting people but rarely is still too high a number for me.

These nest were left over from last summer. The interesting part is that I usually pull that umbrella out several times during the summer months but last summer I did not. I tried to a few time but each time I got near the umbrella I would change my mind and leave it alone. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if I had picked the thing up and started jostling it around. Like I said, rarely is still too high a number for who has a severe reaction to wasp stings.

So, instead of quiet afternoon reading under the umbrella, I spent my time cleaning off wasp nests. The amount of water needed to clean every speck of wasp mud off umbrella fabric is greater than you think. Of course I may have gone overboard in my estimation of just how clean the umbrella needed to be. I am not really sure how much water it takes to remove wasp cooties.