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06-27-2013, 10:46 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 319
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If you find a trap or attractant that really works then I would suggest to my (non-RV) hangermate three hangers down to use it so the bugs are attracted away from my plane.
I fail to see why I would want to "attract bugs" to bait in the general area of where I am attempting to limit them.
The sticky tape is different (not an attractant) as it appears to just capture dumb flying bugs looking for a resting place. A final resting place at that.
Pat Garboden
Katy, TX
RV9A N942PT
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06-27-2013, 01:53 PM
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 752
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Traps are all well and good but I suggest making sure you have covers for your pitot and fuel vents. I posted something on this two or three years ago and the thread is probably still in the archives somewhere.
Back then I watched in disbelief as the wind blew off a cover from my fuel vent and immediately a yellow-jacket type wasp flew up the vent and buried itself there. Took me an hour to get the vent off, clean it out and reinstall. If I hadn't seen it happen I doubt I would have caught it on pre-flight. It would have been a real shock to see my fuel tank suddenly collapse in flight.
So please be sure to cover your fuel vents -- I used a couple of Van's pitot tube covers for the fuel vents and connected them to my engine cover plugs so I wouldn't forget them during pre-flight.
Chris
__________________
Chris Pratt (2020 VAF DUES PAID)
RV-8 Flying, 850+hours
N898DK
Lycoming O-360-A1A, Hartzell CS
52F (Northwest Regional, Aero Valley, Whatever, TX)
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06-27-2013, 02:06 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Taylor Texas
Posts: 811
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tank vent bug guard
It's too dang easy to keep the bugs out of a vent - dunno if this might work in a pitot tube tho...easy enough to test, and remove if it changes anything.
1: cut 1 ea length of .040 safety wire at exactly 1.25". No longer, no shorter
2: fold 1 ea length of safety wire in half, making the U shape at least 3/16" wide
3: insert 1 ea length of safety wire(folded) into the vent opening (cut end 1st) leaving the end of the U flush with the end of the vent
The resulting opening is too small for the critters to get in. Problem solved. I put 'em on every ship that visits my shop.
I do not think this will work in 3/8" vents. Fix covers to this size opening.
Carry on!
Mark
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06-27-2013, 04:49 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Estes Park, CO
Posts: 3,947
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bug zapper
I think every shop should have one of these for the ones that escape all the great ideas posted.
http://www.harborfreight.com/electro...ter-40122.html
If nothing else it's fun. Add a few beers and a few more zappers and make it a bug killing party. New D cells really make them zap.
Disclaimer...no flying after the beer and don't whack your airplane. 
__________________
Larry Larson
Estes Park, CO
http://wirejockrv7a.blogspot.com
wirejock at yahoo dot com
Donated 12/03/2019, plus a little extra.
RV-7A #73391, N511RV reserved (2,000+ hours)
HS SB, empennage, tanks, wings, fuse, working finishing kit
Disclaimer
I cannot be, nor will I be, held responsible if you try to do the same things I do and it does not work and/or causes you loss, injury, or even death in the process.
Last edited by wirejock : 06-27-2013 at 04:52 PM.
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06-27-2013, 10:22 PM
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: Wild Blue Yonder
Posts: 19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidBurton
I have a buddy who has a pulley system in his hangar to hold a dust cover above his aircraft. He can easily pull it up with a single rope to uncover the plane. He does it to keep his planes clean, but a system like that may be helpful to exclude wasps too. Bed nets used for mosquito exclusion are frequently treated with pythrethrin sprays to increase their effectiveness. Spraying the cover would discourage wasps as well.
Good luck. Many aircraft have been brought down by these wasps, even a 757! Birgenair Flight 301
David,
RV6
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I would like to see pictures of a hangar ceiling cover you could just lower down and raise with some kind of pulley. I've heard this before of guys who have done this, but I can't envision it in detail how to make it work right without a frame or something.
Back on topic, I think I like the bug zapper idea the best for flight capable bugs. The bait traps and the fly sticks all have attractants that are going to make the flying beasts want to come into your hangar from afar. The zapper on the other hand, hangs inside a dark hangar, you make it as undetectable to the outside as you can when the doors shut, and it zaps anything drawn to it.
And there's no chemicals... 
__________________
......................................
tailwinds ..
Last edited by Txflyer : 06-27-2013 at 10:27 PM.
Reason: dog gone spelling ..
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06-28-2013, 07:43 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 1,558
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I block my fuel vents with a zip tie. I use the smaller ones that fit into the vent tubing. Shove it in until it bottoms against the locking end of the zip tie. The small bend in the zip tie offers enough resistance to keep it in place. If you want, you can tie a piece of red flag to the exposed locking end with some safety wire so you don't forget to remove it. Works for me and is as cheap and available as can be.
__________________
SH
RV6/2001 built/sold 2005
RV8 Fastback/2008 built/sold 2015
RV4/bought 2016/sold/2017
RV8/2018 built/Sold(sadly)
RV4/bought 2019 Flying
Cincinnati, OH/KHAO
JAN2020
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06-28-2013, 09:50 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Bartow, Florida
Posts: 204
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dang muddaubers
built a home in the fuel vents of my-3,  didn't notice it until I was at 800ft, that's when the engine quit!  Took off on 09, landed on 23. Both vents are now covered, but for awhile I was taking the vents off and cleaning them out with a wire before each flight.  Pucker factor 5.7 
__________________
Taz
Mike Bauer
Technical Counselor
EAA 229 President
RV-3 flying
RV-4 building
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05-04-2014, 09:06 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Spring, Texas
Posts: 4
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Mud Daubers Building Nest
I'm always fighting these guys and their annoying nests.
Check out the video that I recorded. This was just sitting (relaxing) in my back porch for about 1 hour.

Last edited by tekparasite : 05-04-2014 at 09:15 PM.
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05-05-2014, 06:14 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 846
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pipe cleaner
I use the large size pipe cleaners in bright color in my fuel vents slide them in and they stay keeps bugs out and if you take off with them in they still pass air.
Bob
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05-05-2014, 08:08 AM
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pocahontas MS
Posts: 3,884
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Here in MS (and, I suspect, in other places), we have multiple problem critters. 'Dirt daubers' of various species build anything from the tunnel-looking structures to 'dirt clod' shaped structures that are sometimes as big as your fist. I had to remove an elevator several years ago after one of these 'fists' came loose & was rolling around inside during a preflight. I had to dunk the entire elevator in a barrel of water to dissolve the nest; no way to get it out of a completed -4 elevator. (The plane is kept in a closed, but not airtight hangar.)
The other threat is what actually looks like a bee; much smaller than a dirt dauber wasp. That's what gets in our pitots & fuel vents.
I freely admit to having almost no memory, so I wanted a memory-independent solution. On my vents, I used aluminum window screen prosealed over the end of the A/N fittings. for the pitot (van's bent tubing), I use the clamp-on flapper that's sold by various aviation vendors. I never forget to remove (or install) either of the fixes. Neither of the above were my original ideas.
In my opinion, flying every day is no defense against these kinds of pests. The pitot/vent builders (the really dangerous ones, in my opinion) can plug a vent in a few hours, at most. I've had a paper wasp nest stay active inside the front axle, and under the rear fender of my tractor, for weeks (perhaps months) before they were killed off. I'm confident of the time frame due to the size of the nest under the fender when I finally noticed it, and actually watching the wasps in the axle. They'd actually follow the tractor around the yard, & work while I was mowing.
FWIW,
Charlie
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