(...) 
MM> Heehee... I have something better than body armor - I have a husband!
MM> Last  weekend he was going to cut back the bottom leaves (which are
MM> rotting in  the soil due to moisture) until we found an active wasp
MM> nest in it. We  bought some wasp killer and went on the attack. We
MM> might try cutting the  lower leaves off this weekend.
(...)
    The most common wasp killers are effective for about 24 hours.  This will
help, to a point, with returing wasps.  Unfortunately, after about 24 hours,
their effectiveness is nil and you may find the wasps have nested in exactly 
the same spot as previously. (I'm speaking from experience, in having had to 
remove wasps' nests from under the eves of our house, and from discussions 
with the man at the hardware store who sold me the stuff.)
    It's best not to wait an entire week to remove the sites of the nests, as 
I tried to do with the hives under our eves.  Wait 24 to 48 hours max, to 
account for returning wasps, and then do what needs to be done.  If the 
problem is that the work can only be done on certain days, it only takes a 
few minutes to apply the spray.  Go out early in the morning, 24 to 48 hours 
before you plan to trim the plant and spray then.  Or do it late in the 
evening.  Those are the best times to spray anyway as that's when the wasps 
are least active and you'll find the most of them in the nest.
    One other thing.  I once removed a century plant from a backyard where my 
family lived when I was growing up.  We found the sap to be both acidic and  
caustic.  Be sure to wear some sort of eye and hand protection and, even 
though it may be hot, long sleves.  We ended up using an axe to cut through 
the main stem of the plant in order to remove it and the sap sprayed every 
where.  It didn't take much of it in contact with the skin to convince us 
that it was pretty nasty stuff.
        Byrd Mann
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