Reminder about insect nests

tomhanaway · #1 06-08-2014, 08:35 AM

Was in the garage this morning working on wiring. All fittings are installed on firewall forward in anticipation of engine.

Completed wings are stored with all openings masked off.

Noticed a small wasp trying to lug a little caterpillar into the an6 fitting for the soon to be attached fuel line. Fuel line is now checked for obstructions and all hardware fittings capped off.

I didn't think of the fuselage since I'm down there most every day.

Tom H.

wirejock · #2 06-08-2014, 09:51 AM

They are persistent little buggers. I don't miss the mud daubers and yellow jackets in TX.
They are not the only thing that will build in a space though. Our car AC was not working properly recently. I found a chipmunk had built a storage facility in the outside air duct. I pulled the fan unit and a huge pile of seeds and goodies fell out.

rv7charlie · #3 06-08-2014, 10:32 AM

Yep. A few days ago I was working in my 20x20 workroom inside the hangar, & saw something about the size of a bumblebee go into the end of spare piece of AN10 teflon lined oil line. The critter got away, but when I blew through the line, 3 or 4 pieces of green leaf about the size of clover leaves flew out. They looked like he/she had cut them to fit the diameter of the tube. Later saw what was probably the same critter diving into a scrap piece of 1/2" aluminum tubing.

This room is only open when I'm in there working, so it doesn't take them long to do their thing. Here in MS, there are at least 5 different types of flying critters that I've actually seen that plug holes from less than 1/8" to way over 1/2"; I suspect that there are more.

Charlie