Fun w/Dirt Dobbers

[CN Spots]

Charming little creatures...

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See the carb? I couldn't.

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After the eviction.
Just over 4.5 lbs of nests!

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Fun w/Dirt Dobbers

They are why I keep my choke CLOSED when the motor is trailered.

 

[royal0014]

Re: Fun w/Dirt Dobbers

Holy Moly! My Grandmother's back porch never had that many nests! Dude, you are in for some serious rehab......

 

[sasto]

Re: Fun w/Dirt Dobbers

The pesky critters clogged up our 180 gallon holding tank vent mounded exterior onetime. The pressure built up in the tank and the vacuum heads were working overtime to evacuate. The mate pulled the vent hose from the tank.... inside the boat... in the bilge....in a fairly tight place. Took him 3 days to get cleaned up. To this day I can't look at him with a straight face. I feel your pain.

 

[fishingcowboy]

Re: Fun w/Dirt Dobbers

Sorry, I'm from the middle of the desert out in the west so this may sound like a dumb question, but what the heck is a Dirt Dobber? Are they like mud wasps or are they something worse? Whatever they are, I'm glad I only have to deal with mother nature sandblasting my paint every so often. That does not look like a fun thing to deal with.

 

[Bill Kilgore]

Re: Fun w/Dirt Dobbers

Man alive! How long did it they have to do all their building?

 

[CN Spots]

Re: Fun w/Dirt Dobbers

We call them dirt dobbers, some people call them mud dobbers and I've heard of mud wasps But I'm not sure if that's the same insect. This is the most common variety around here:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/photorover/art/3537210-2-mud-dobber

This motor was given to me by a friend as an "I dare you to fix it" project. It came for his FIL's barn an was probably in the loft for years. I won't get too much into the motor here as that will get it moved to the Merc forum and I already have a thread on it there but I will tell you that it cleaned up easier than I thought. The plastic screen/cage over the carb was just small enough to keep them out so the internals were spared. Ironically, everywhere there was a nest, the paint underneath was perfect.

2 hours, a quart of SuperClean and a toothbrush later...

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[JaSla74]

Re: Fun w/Dirt Dobbers

Nicely done sir