In May of 2010, I wrote an extremely controversial article aptly titled “The best kept secret in home self defense...hornet & wasp spray!” The point of the article was to make the public aware that there are items in a household that can be utilized to defend against a threat that are not labeled as weapons such as wasp and hornet spray but the article was in no way intended to advise homeowners to protect primarily with such items, only in the event of an emergency. My article was not received well by some as evidenced by the following comments [names of those commenting in brackets]:
[David] Pepper spray is legal in Michigan. You should know this if you are going to speak intelligently about self defense strategies. Pepper spray can be used immediately if you are threatened. Your live has to be at stake for you to be able to legally use wasp spray which isn't nearly as effective as pepper spray…What testing have you done? Do some research before you end up jeaprodizing the safety of your readers…Several points you have made are simply not true. Wasp spray for home defense is not a secret, but it is a horrible idea…At best, you'll hit the bottom of the wall. You also claim “it has exceptional take-down capabilities”. You know this how? …It is illegal. You can be sued. Most importantly, it will not work on those which cannot feel pain (alcohol, drugs, emotionally disturbed) b/c it doesn’t produce the inflammatory effects pepper spray does. Home defense pepper sprays deploy 25’, slam the attackers’ eyes shut & produces a loss of breath sensation…
[JB] I have to say, David makes a much more convincing arguement. Wasp Spray for self-defense???? Next someone will be telling you to use a can of cheese whiz because its available at the grocery, its cheep, and the attacker will never suspect it. Very follish.
[Lauren] You all have the right to your opinion. The last thing I would care about is getting SUED, when someone threatens me and my children! I would use any force if necessary, if the attacker dies.. they die. I am not a violent person, but when it comes to my children, I will be a force to reckon with.
[Tracey the Safety Lady] Wasp spray is to be used for killing wasps. Pepper spray is what law enforcement officials use for protection, not wasp spray. There is a reason for this. The simple solution is to buy a larger can of pepper spray that goes 20 feet or more. As a safety professional, I am appalled at those who would advise using an a product with unknown results, to save a life. Please reconsider.
[Jen] What are the "exceptional take-down capabilities"? Please be specific.
[Dons621] The bigest problem is not the invader, it is the Laws that protects the Invader. If you were to set a Bear Trap and caught an invader he would wind up owning your home. The only way you can win is the same way the Police win , HAVE a throw away gun to place on the invader in case he does not have one . Use a 12GA. shotgun loaded with LAW ENFORCEMENT SHELLS. Which is a 5/8" ball and 6 buckshot pellets . It is designed to kill that is why the Police use it. The Police will not potect you but will take credit for any thing good that comes out of your Misery.
[lol] screw a spray anything ill put a few shells from my mossburg 590A through the door and if your still breathing well ill keep shooting until that problem is solved. dont mess with me. i dont have a problem killing someone, and after that ill sit back down to dinner.
I responded about a year ago to David, since he was the most damning and vocal, as follows:
First, I never said that the spray works up to 35 feet, I simply said that some boast that it does...I firmly stated 20 feet, which is accurate. Second, I believe that personal protection plans must include multiple tools and mindsets, including understanding what you can utilize in your home to protect yourself in the event you have no other options. I actually advocate that homeowners either have a gun or Taser and definitely have knowledge of basic self defense techniques. Lastly, and most importantly, we all (including you and JB) have the right to defend ourselves in our homes with any means necessary if we feel our lives or the lives of our loved ones are being threatened. I have the right to shoot a man dead (look up Donna Jackson of Oklahoma) if he threatens my life; therefore, I can utilize wasp spray too!
As much as I enjoyed the feedback and entertainment that came as a result of my article, I feel that it is time to finally clarify a few things and ultimately defend my position on the use of wasp and pepper spray as a formidable line of defense in a home invasion in the absence of proven self defense tools. Let’s tackle each comment on its own to determine its legitimacy.
David’s initial critique of my article was that pepper spray is legal in Michigan and that I should have known that being a self defense expert. Unfortunately, David did not check the date of my article as it was written in May of 2010 and pepper spray became a legal option for Michigan residents in December 2010. Secondly, roughly 10-15% of the population is immune to the effects of pepper spray and by advising this as the only option for my readers, I am truly jeopardizing their safety if not providing further options for personal protection. Additionally, I have yet to find a pepper spray authorized for civilian use that sprays 25 feet but would certainly love to be proven wrong. Furthermore, anyone that has used bug sprays can confirm that they do not just hit the bottom of the wall since both wasps and hornets are flying pests; this assessment is pretty silly on David’s part without a stitch of validity. Finally, anything that disables the eyesight of a threat, including water or aerosol spray, provides the potential victim with a sight advantage, which allows that person to attack without being seen. Now add a lofty dose of pyrethrins to the spray and the toxicity is sure to stop a threat in their tracks long enough to get out of harm’s way or grab an alternative weapon like a shovel or ax. Agreed that it is not clear if pest spray has been tested on humans thankfully, but much of the research that I have done points out that it effect the eyes, skin, lungs, respiratory and digestive systems. Wasp spray generally contains an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor; these are harmful to anything with a nervous system.
As for JB, I do not feel that a valid retort is warranted as his response clearly demonstrates a lack of topical research as well as a lacking of overall intelligence. Case closed.
Lauren’s response is one that resonates with me as I feel the same with regards to my personal protection and my right to use deadly force if necessary when my life or the lives of my loved ones are threatened. She is a strong and wise woman and I’d welcome the opportunity to meet such a woman with a solid constitution. You go girl!
Tracey the Safety Lady has certainly not done her research about pepper spray, which I find equally appalling. While I am happily in agreement that law enforcement uses pepper spray and most recently improperly, there are a wide variety of legal restrictions that govern the use of pepper spray for civilians. For example, in California the law on pepper spray states:
No person shall purchase, possess, or use any tear gas weapon that expels a projectile, or that expels the tear gas by any method other than an aerosol spray, or that contains more than 2.5 ounces net weight of aerosol spray.
Therefore, Tracey the Safety Lady, it is ill-advised that a civilian purchase a “larger can of pepper spray” when a large can of wasp and hornet spray can produce an equivalent deterrent with a built-in defense that is legal in all states. After all, it is hard to argue that a woman’s actions are unjustifiable when she pulls out an aerosol can of wasp and hornet spray in defense of her life. Not such safe advice for someone that boasts “safety” in her title, right?
With regards to Jen’s question about exceptional take-down capabilities, I revert back to my comments about gaining a sight advantage over a threat. By disabling someone’s sight, it provides the prospective victim with an opportunity to attack anywhere and everywhere without the threat knowing where the attack is originating (all strike zones are available). This sight advantage provides exceptional take-down capabilities and I have not even addressed the effects of the toxic nature of the repellent yet. The one thing that I can say with certainty is that even a dust particle in an eye can distract a threat long enough for a victim to defend or run, which is the desired result. Check out my article “How to attack the most vulnerable body part of an attacker, the eye” for more information.
The comments made by Dons621 and lol are purely ignorant although extremely entertaining. I am a staunch advocate for a civilian’s right to bear arms and even the right to defend by any means necessary including deadly force; so much so, that I wrote an article on the right to defend. With that said, I also believe in the use of escalating levels of force and just simply shooting someone is not always the answer even though it is always the “macho” solution.
There is a lot of misinformation out there with regards to wasp and hornet spray but by simply reading my personal can of Raid Wasp & Hornet spray, I can tell you with certainty what I do know:
- I did not have to pass a background check when purchasing my can of Raid Wasp & Hornet spray.
- My can of Raid Wasp & Hornet spray was approximately $10, which is an inexpensive “god forbid” personal protection tool.
- The instructions say to “point at the nest and spray until nest is fully saturated”, which leads me to believe that I can hit more than the just the bottom of the wall per David.
- The can has a “Hazards To Humans and Domestic Animals” section, which I think means that it is hazardous even without extensive research (helps with my claim that it has “exceptional take-down capabilities”)...so those would be considered "known results", right Tracey the Safety Lady?
- Has the disclaimer “CAUTION: Harmful if absorbed through the skin. Avoid contact with skin, clothing and eyes.” See above note with regards to claim and known results.
- My can of Raid Wasp & Hornet spray sprays up to 22 feet per the can (see photo).
In closing, I stand by my claim that wasp and hornet spray is still the best kept secret in home self defense in the absence of any other training or weapons. In fact, I have a can in my home and office in the event that my TASER C2, SureFire E2D LED Flashlight, ASP Pepper Spray and Shieldher Self Defense Training fails me. I have always lived by the motto “better to be safe than sorry” and this is no time in society to live any other way. My name is Dana Shafman and I AM THE SAFETY EXPERT.
Stay safe!
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