“Remoted” – Workday 56 / Day 74 (Friday)

For the third time in a week, the air at the BungaLowell was abuzz. It started on the long holiday/staycation weekend, but it’s hard to pinpoint. The first of something isn’t always notable until later when piecing together a string of events.

On the Memorial Day weekend, there was a wasp buzzing around the double crank-out window over the sink. It clearly wanted to be out, about as much as I wanted it out. The screens on the crank-outs cover the full size of the window, are lightweight and easy to handle, and pull inward to remove completely. When the wasp was on the right  window, the screen was removed on the left window and after a few minutes it found its way out. The problems for both creatures was solved with minimal stress, no stings, no death, and no guilt.

During the week, there was a wasp flying around the office window where the desk sits. The desk is just deep enough and wide enough to make raising the bottom window a bit of a stretch. Lowering the top window, which would provide instant outside access for a flying critter walking on it is nearly impossible with the added stress of a potential sting and my short arms with the strength of ramen noodles. The bottom window was raised, and an attempt made to raise the screen to create an exit, but the screen release was stuck. The wasp ended up on the screen and the window was closed. Despite my good intentions, it spent the rest of its life trapped there. With time to study it safely from the other side of the glass, I now fully understand the inspiration of the wasp-waisted fashions popular way back in the late 1800s.

As I arrived at my desk at 8:25 a.m. this morning, once again, there was a wasp walking on the window by the desk. There is no clue as to where they are entering from, but the wasp situation has started to feel like a real problem. While the wasp was at the top of the window, the bottom window was raised and the screen successfully raised several inches providing a clear exit. The previous wasp and two deceased flies were blown to the outside world by my coffee scented breath. Today’s wasp walked down the window almost all the way to freedom, before turning and going back to the top, then flying around the office and into the kitchen. As it buzzed around, I opened the door and tried to will it outside. No luck.

While I was trying to mentally coax a wasp onto the flight path out the door, another wasp guest arrived in the office, either through the now open door, the open window with the raised screen, or whatever secret passageway they seem to have. Soon, there was a wasp walking the window in front of the desk, another on the window behind the desk, and a third flying outside the door as if waiting to be let into the party. What the heck?

Stress was mounting. It was hard to get much work done while tracking the location of various wasps and trying to figure out how to get them out. I considered spraying them with some White Rain Hairspray left over from an 80s-themed event a few years ago, but I didn’t want to be cleaning hairspray off everything. The screen was lowered again lest I end up inadvertently hosting a full blown wasp convention.

A wasp on each side of the glass.
At least only one could get me. 

Eventually, one ended up trapped between the screen and window. The other was touring each of the four office windows and reclining in the draped folds of the marigold dance veil serving as a curtain on a double window. It even walked around on the rug where I unsuccessfully tried to roll the chair over it before it retreated back to the window fabric. 

Finally, around 1:30, it went back to the floor and ultimately ended up smashed by my shoe. Despite humane intentions, multiple counts of wasp murder are on my conscience. Not cool. There will probably be nightmares involving wasp revenge tonight.