[ Durham County sheriff’s deputy Michael] Lemay recommended that the woman keep two things by her front door: a whistle and a can of wasp spray.
“It shoots 20 feet, it’s cost-effective and it does the job,” Lemay said.
As somebody who has dealt with a wasp colony or a couple of dozens in his life, I can attest that the only way that wasp spray does good against wasp is if you place a flame between the can and the target. and create your own makeshift flame-thrower. A human attacker is a wee bit bigger than a wasp and unless you manage to convince him to stand still, open his mouth and ingest the contest of the can, the wasp spray is not gonna do squat.
A very physically fit couple in Seattle found out the hard way that bug spray is for bugs. One Ken Boonstra apparently wanted to play “let’s make a snuff porn video,” broke into their house and after liberal applications of wasp spray and a baseball bat, Mr. Boonstra failed to get the memo about surrendering. The wife had to retrieve a kitchen knife and apply it liberally to various parts of Mr. Boonstra’s anatomy until he gave up enough blood to depart this earth.
Again: a very fit couple (Both into the Crossfit scene) used a baseball bat and a can of wasp spray without results. Only when a knife (a deadly weapon) was introduced, the struggle finally tilted in favor of the good guys.
Now, if we could make a request to the Durham County Sheriff and ask him to have Deputy Lemay swap his sidearm and carry only a can of Wasp Spray when patrolling the streets…….. nah, not happening.
Wasp spray always worked for me. (On wasps) However, as some people commented in the newspaper article, it is a nerve agent and could be considered a terrorist weapon. With the DC junta’s current war on conservatives, it might be better just to shoot the perp that breaks in.
“It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.”
Not only is that advice potentially deadly, it’s a violation of federal law. FIFRA sec. 12(a)(2)(G) sez it’s illegal to do it and FIFRA sec 14(a)(2) sez it’ll cost you $1,000 if you do it. In addition to the fines levied by the EPA, you may also be sued by your target.
Lemay recommended that the woman keep two things by her front door: a whistle and a can of wasp spray.
And that advice is even dumber. Why would anyone want to keep a defensive weapon anywhere but NEAR them? If you hear a bump in the night, or your front door crashing in, do you really want to run all up to that door to grab your chemical agent? No, you do not. Lemay should be mocked, ridiculed, and run out of town.
Bill, who did you tick off? I had to rescue your comment from the Askimet Spam bin. 🙂
Ladies, if any man recommends you NOT arm yourself, he is trying to get you raped and/or killed.
He might have designs to do so himself.
That’s a factor I hadn’t thought of: a lot of insecticides are nerve agents, which means that recommending use of them on other human beings- even in self-defense- could put you at risk of being charged with ‘possession of a weapon of mass destruction’ or something.
Being a international treaty violator, even.
As with Strangelove I’ve had good luck with wasp spray and wasps, and other insects.
Still the first time I used wasp spray I got some back-blast in my eye. I was concerned for my health, but it was hardly as bad as the backblast from pepper spray.
Both of those did not take me out of the fight.