Just read this as I am searching for a solution to an issue here.
I’ve recently taken on headship of an international school in Thailand, out in the countryside.
Along with the usual issues of snakes, foot long centipedes and stray dogs, I have discovered a large hornets nest at the top of our water tower.
Nest is around 25m+ up. There is no getting to it with a lift, highest local lift I can find is 15m.
We could leave it, but as I am a boarding school, and have fussy parents, if a bird attacks it, all hell will break loose.
I’m told this is the hornet that is it is
From a quick google.
Highly poisonous and can be fatal to kids. “I was stung by two, and it was literally as if I had received an electric shock and was thrown across the ground. 12 hours later, my arm was twice the size it should be and had to be lifted onto the steering wheel”
Options are being explored and these are, and will need to be carried out at night time:
1. Hire lift with cage, extend as far as possible, then use a long bamboo pole for the remaining 12m or so with flaming rag
Having looked at this, it is not a bad idea, as long as the bamboo pole doesn’t tip over the truck with the basket.
2. Leave it. Very tempting, but also aware of the issues if it goes wrong. I have a lock down procedure in place for the school, but I hadn’t considered using it for a hornet attack.
3. Set a large bin on fire and hope the smoke drifts up 25m and annoys them to move home.
3. Set a large bin on fire, shoot with catapult and watch angry hornets fly into the bin. Legend has it that a large nest can extinguish the flames.
4. Super soaker with insecticide, not sure if they go that far vs gravity.
If we come to a solution I will let you all know, will try and get a photo of it, although I am careful not to let parents see me staring up at it during working hours.