Wasps; just wondering?

[b54red]

I have never seen so many wasps as I am seeing this year. They are building nests everywhere. I have had to kill off a few that keep insisting on starting nests right over my head under my shed where I do a lot of my gardening work. That still leaves dozens of them under my shed which I want to leave alone if possible because I know they prey on all kinds of caterpillars.

Has anyone else noticed a real surge in wasps in their area or is it just a localized occurrence? I wonder if their is some significance to this phenomenon? I know when you see hornets nesting very high in the trees it signifies either a very cold or very wet winter or both. If you see hornets building their nests near the ground then look for a warmer than usual winter with less than normal rain. I was just wondering if anyone had heard any old folklore concerning big increases in wasps?

Bill

[AlittleSalt]

Bill, I don't know any folklores, but I can offer the following:

We always have our fair share of red wasps. While they fly irritatingly close to me, I've never been stung by one. I leave their nests alone and don't consider them as a nuisance.

Black wasps are a totally different story for me. Years ago, I was clearing a fence of honeysuckle for a lady when I grabbed a hidden black wasp nest. I was instantly stung many times on that hand. It stayed swollen and basically useless for a full week. Luckily, I've never seen a black wasp on our property, but if I did - I would use some wasp spray in a heartbeat.

[beefsteak]

Bill, What does it mean when a whole bunch of hornets are flying right at you with an evil look on their bald faces?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by beefsteak

Bill, What does it mean when a whole bunch of hornets are flying right at you with an evil look on their bald faces?

It means your in the wrong spot.
Worth

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by Worth1

It means your in the wrong spot.
Worth

Too funny!

On the serious side. I had a lot of them about a month ago. They were everywhere and I just let them be even though they got real up close and personal they didn't sting me.

They must not found the type of food they were looking for because they have disappeared to include the few carpenter bees I had. Even my tiny bees that normally are all over the Daylilies pollinating are missing.

Don't know if all the storms and rain did something to their nests or what. I just hope they do come back. Hazzard to humans, but great predators of pests.

Bill, do you have a lot of spiders around? In the past, I have found them to be around alot when my spider populations were up. I could check some of their cells when they were out flying and would find dead spider bodies in the nests.

You must have something good they liking. Interesting about the hornets and the weather. Now I am going to have watch in the future to see what they do. That is if I get any.

[noinwi]

We have the paper wasps here that build their nests under the eaves. We have to destroy a lot of them just so we can go in and out of the house and especially the garage. They like the south side of the garage as it heats up early in the season. Last year I had a pair trying to build a nest against some corrugated paneling right between two of my containers. It took several tries of destroying the beginnings of their nest before they found a spot several feet outside of my garden area. I didn't want to kill them...I was glad they finally relocated. I know they're beneficial, but their sting really hurts and they get aggressive if you get too close to their nests!
Our house is very near the woods and we have the large yellow hornets here too, but we never see the nests, just the hornets as they try to come inside to hibernate for the winter and as they leave their hiding spots in the spring. They're so scary I hope I never experience their sting.

[roper2008]

I usually leave them alone. But I'll have to spray three of them that are building
nest right by my front door, like last year. I have never been stung by one.

[MissS]

I am seeing a abnormally high number of wasps flying now. Since I am so far north, these would be the queens and the drones mating and then looking for nesting sites.

I have been carrying my fly swatter with me!

[Cole_Robbie]

I got stung enough by red wasps as a kid to still hate them now. I have to have spray in the greenhouse. They love the heat. I can't stand being in the greenhouse with a wasp.

[luke]

Growing up, we always had two rows of purple hulls that required constant picking. They were red wasp magnets.

I've knocked out two red wasp nests on garage doors already this year, but not seeing more than normal.

[AZGardener]

I have been seeing a fair amount of wasps in the garden. They seem to leave me alone so I leave them alone. So far. The moment when they turn against me--I will fight back. Lol!!

[pmcgrady]

Hang a couple of medium sized brown paper sacks tied at the top to
To look like a paper hornet nest, suppose to scare other wasps off.

[BigVanVader]

No more than usual here. What I have been seeing a lot of are spiders. They have webs on most of my plants in the garden/greenhouse and every time I am working in the garden I see them all over. They even hide under the leaves and compost! I like spiders so it dosent bother me but I do wonder what it is that is so attractive to them in my yard/garden.

[Worth1]

The more rain you get the more spiders you get.
If any of you guys saw the spider hatching in one of my pictures they have taken open residence all over my garden.
Worth

[bughunter99]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Bill, I don't know any folklores, but I can offer the following:

We always have our fair share of red wasps. While they fly irritatingly close to me, I've never been stung by one. I leave their nests alone and don't consider them as a nuisance.

Black wasps are a totally different story for me. Years ago, I was clearing a fence of honeysuckle for a lady when I grabbed a hidden black wasp nest. I was instantly stung many times on that hand. It stayed swollen and basically useless for a full week. Luckily, I've never seen a black wasp on our property, but if I did - I would use some wasp spray in a heartbeat.

Not sure if there are more than one variety of black wasp but around here those are the only flying insect I fear. When they sting you there is a very definite and very strong colony response where they will come after you and they are persistant. You go under water and they will hang around waiting for you to come up. Those stings are really really painful. There was a nest for years in our pear tree and I saw them attack a few deer one year. I don't know what happened to the nest, probably a wind storm but I am glad it is gone. It is nice to be able to enjoy our pears again.