Man Uses Roman Candle To Kill Hornets, Causes Fire Damage

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STURBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man learned the hard way that fireworks are probably not the best way to deal with a hornets' nest.

Dave Schmida, of Sturbridge, says he was trying to remove hornets high up on his family's home on Monday when a corner of the roof caught on fire.

The Telegram and Gazette reports the 21-year-old first used a more traditional method, spraying the nest with Raid, a pesticide spray.

When that didn't work, Schmida went the unconventional method of using a Roman candle to handle the wasps.

A video of the incident shows the nest immediately go up in flames, along with the eaves.

Schmida used a fire extinguisher from the upstairs floor to put out the flames. He says the damage was minimal, with only a few boards left slightly burned.