Tales from a tech. So I’m working on a rooftop AC when a swarm of yellow jackets starts to attack
Once a month in the summertime you may notice me working on a rooftop Air Conditioning unit seemingly on drugs as I frantically spray the water hose in all directions. No, I am not experimenting with the latest bath salts. I've discovered another wasp/ yellow jacket nest and war has begun. There will only be one survivor either myself and your roof will be littered with carcasses. Or the Wasps which means I tripped over myself and found a resting place near where the rain would fall as it rolls off of your clogged gutters.
For some reason wasps love raising their families in Package Unit Air Conditioners on the roof. I imagine it's because there are typically small openings and once inside they find protection from the elements in the furnace burner area. In August of 2021 I was up on a roof working on a package unit. As soon as I started removing the screws I noticed a wasp poking his head out of an opening of the unit. Then he attacked. Luckily I am very experienced And understand they are usually just trying to scare you, that is if you don't immediately leave. That wasn't going to happen. It was 100 plus outside and my customer needed cold air asafp. So I went off the roof to grab the weapon of choice. A long hose with a spray nozzle attached to it. It's best to have the type of nozzle that can spray wide then narrow as you pull the trigger. So I go back on the roof with my weapon. This time I welcome their advancements. But I am hardly prepared for what's to come. I tap the sheet metal panel they are hiding behind and instead of the typical one or two wasps at a time coming out, within seconds 10-15 fly out surrounding me in all directions. As they come closer to me I spray wide at them as when their wings are wet the fall from the sky. Then you see them walking on the roof, you now have 5 seconds to act for all you've done is piss them off more. Then without mercy I stomp the beast out of existence. Spray and stomp is the method of choice. I snuffed out about 10 of them this way; the other 5 or so had retreated to the nearby trees. So I aggressively tapped the sheet metal panel again with the spray nozzle and again 10-15 came at me. I couldn't believe it. This already is more wasps than I’ve ever had attack me from one unit. This happened about 4-6 times, tap, spray, stomp. All in all there were about 100 wasps carcasses on the roof by the time I had finished up and I removed 4-5 large nests. That's when the repair for the a/c starts.
I know it can be enraging when the furnace or A/C stops working but stay calm. Here are some tips on what to check if the furnace stops blowing warm air.