Wasp Detector - Why Not?

[ParanoiA]

Ok, I'm straight up scared of wasps. I will knock women and children out of the way to get away from them. I really feel they come from hell.

 

To make a long story shorter, I completely flipped out at the site of a wasp in my room...my music/computer room. I ran, obviously, and armored up with a long sleeved hoodie and wasp killer. So, here I am crouching in my ninja-wasp-killer stance, searching the room with my Hot Shot brand 27 foot jet spray wasp killer...and I can't find him. I'm in the throes of fight-or-flight creeping around the room, where every little noise or flicker of light, initially anyway, is a yellow jacket going straight for my jugular - and I can't find him.

 

I eventually had to forget about him, in theory anyway, and deal with the psychology of staying in the room, with my wasp killer within arms reach, and several hours later he met his demise, followed by a toilet stool funeral. But that was a tough stretch waiting on him to show himself.

 

So, that got me wondering something stupid: Is there something about the physiology of insects and bugs that could be detected electronically, sonar, something so you could locate the little bastards?

[the tree]

I imagine if you were Spiderman then you could set up an array of tiny fibres and train yourself to feel the slightest disturbance. You could make it sticky so that the movement is restricted.

 

Heck, you could just buy some scented fly paper that would attract said wasps and trap them. It wouldn't be quite the same as being Spiderman, but those things do work.

[insane_alien]

or get a mesh screen to stop them getting in in the first place.

[ParanoiA]

or get a mesh screen to stop them getting in in the first place.

 

Ok, I already have screens on my windows. But you can't keep bugs out 100%. I just thought it would be cool to have like a little bug locator so I could detect all the bugs in my house - scary and as well as just pests.

 

Then, if I have to do battle with a yellow jacket I can detect where he is instead of having to wonder if he got out or not, or if he's patiently waiting for me to forget about him.

[insane_alien]

mini radar system?

[Royston]

You could set up a detector for frequencies of around 150 Hz I guess, you'll need a sensitive audio detector, though you'll still have the problem of finding it, once it stops flying, and overlooking any other background noise.

 

So IA's radar solution is probably the only choice, if you want fail safe detection.

 

Failing that, a half consumed can of fizz left on the window will attract a wasp, or you could conquer your fear of wasps...somehow.

[CDarwin]

Or get a tricorder.

 

Speaking of

[Klaynos]

That'd have to be quite some radar system to detect something so small, reliably...

[Royston]

Well yeah, considering what Paranoia wants to achieve, how can it be anything but elaborate...attracting wasps, is obviously far easier.

 

EDIT: Hmm, I'm sure I read somewhere that they use radar for agricultural purposes i.e detecting the whereabouts of insects on crops, I'll try and find a link (if I'm right of course)

[john5746]

My motion detection lights outside turn on with &^%$#!!@# moths and other flying insects, but not very reliable I am sure.

[ParanoiA]

Well yeah, considering what Paranoia wants to achieve, how can it be anything but elaborate...attracting wasps, is obviously far easier.

 

Yeah, this is the solution I'm settling on until an insect detector or that tricorder are developed. I hadn't thought of attracting the wasp. Kind of against my whole nature really...attracting satan's warriors and all. But, I will do that next time. Then I can control where I kill him and keep from spraying wasp killer all over the furniture...

[Klaynos]

EDIT: Hmm, I'm sure I read somewhere that they use radar for agricultural purposes i.e detecting the whereabouts of insects on crops, I'll try and find a link (if I'm right of course)

 

Swarms. I work very very closely with microwave researchers, and to pick up a single insect this would be an unprecidented system.

[Mag]

^ that made me think

 

Next time you find those horrible wasps. catch one (inside 2 cups) and put him in the microwave!

[iNow]

Perhaps if tracking their motion or electromagnetic signature has too many problems, you might look into their olfactary signature... i.e. Measure their chemical scent.

[Klaynos]

I'd have thought the easiest detector was the frequency one mentioned above....

 

Surely for the chemical scent you'd need it to read the detector by which point it would be too late!

[Reaper]

You could just get a bug zapper.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Swarms. I work very very closely with microwave researchers, and to pick up a single insect this would be an unprecidented system.

 

Clearly they need to find some Texas wasps. I swear, the things are two inches long...

 

You could probably do it acoustically with an array of microphones, using the phase shifts in signals from different mics to pinpoint the exact location of the wasp, but it would take some serious talent to get working.

 

I sometimes hope it would be possible to use a phased-array high-frequency radar set that could detect the insects and then fry them by concentrating its beam on them. Would make for fun watching.

[ParanoiA]

I sometimes hope it would be possible to use a phased-array high-frequency radar set that could detect the insects and then fry them by concentrating its beam on them. Would make for fun watching.

 

That's awesome...

[Pre4edgc]

But wouldn't that suck if you were in the way? ... Ouch...

[John Cuthber]

My understanding of ordinary fly-spray is the it hangs in the air for a while and kills bugs anyway. You don't need a "direct hit" to get a kill. (Though it's more satisfying to squirt the bugs.)

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

But wouldn't that suck if you were in the way? ... Ouch...

You'd need a smart computer to know when there are larger objects in the way, and also I suppose frying a bug would be a lot easier than frying you.

 

But it would still be irritating to throw a paperclip across the room and have it catch fire in mid-air.

[Klaynos]

irritating or very cool?

[foodchain]

Not all wasps happen to be super aggressive or kill on sight or sting on sight really. I have quite a few yellow jackets that for the most part will just basically leave you alone, its funny watching them land on the side of a hose and fall off. If they start flying faster and coming at you and doing zig zags and stuff is when you would probably want to defend yourself in general, or more to the point like people you generally have to do something to aggravate a wasp, unless its in the process of making a home or something, then if might just attack you though I have never had that happen. The difference in specie to specie might account for a variance in behavior though along with other factors.

 

As for detection of wasps, I have no idea what you would place in a room for such past A.I and detection equipment like thermal imagery or what not. I would think your best bet is basically learning about local wasps, such as what they like for food or shelter and trying to minimize such on your property. The shelter part might be hard to defeat though.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

irritating or very cool?

 

It would be awesome for people in cubicles.

 

Cubicle Defense System^TM

[Glider]

Not all wasps happen to be super aggressive or kill on sight or sting on sight really. I have quite a few yellow jackets that for the most part will just basically leave you alone,

Yeah, I used to be nervous about wasps when I was a kid. I always thought they were agressive and would 'go for you' at the slightest provocation. The rationale behind the myth was that 'it's because they can sting you as many times as they like without dying!' (unlike bees).

 

Still, since I've moved back here (London), I notice a lot more wasps than when I lived in Herts. Around my trees on dry days, there are usually anything between 10 and 30 wasps (even had a hornet one day; like the 'heavy bomber' of wasps), all drinking from the leaves and pots after I've watered the trees. So many was a bit worrying and my initial thought was to grab a can of raid and decleare war. I doubted it would have made a difference, so I didn't bother.

 

These days I just walk through them. I do what I have to do with my trees (I'm just careful when picking off dead leaves), and they do what they do. I've had one or two land on me from time to time, but I've never been stung or felt threatened.