Wasps

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by SQWIBB

I have never seen a yellow jacket pollinate any type of flower.
I have seen them pollinate soda cans.
They are real bad in early fall.
I am always telling folks to cover their soda cans.
Also for some odd, reason they like to fly around people's faces. I have no idea what draws them to do this.
They do eat insects but are indiscriminate predators, like the praying mantis.
I have only seen them in my garden one time when I put out some alcohol soaked pineapples, (picture in earlier post)

sucking a yellowjacket up the straw was how my husband got stung in the mouth a couple years ago, but it was NOV. and no one was expecting them to be hanging out on a nice day.

in the Fall there are plenty of hornets and yellowjackets on the flowers of my raspberries.

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by RJGlew

I always spray them at night, after the colony has bedded down. Locate the nest entrance during the day, but since many wasps are out foraging at that time resist the urge to spray since it is possible you'll get stung by returning wasps. At night they are all in the nest, and typically far less aggressive. Put your sprayer head into the nest entrance and give them a really good dousing with your soap mix - a couple of litres is good. If you saturate everything during your first attempt you'll get the entire colony, otherwise it will take you multiple tries.

This is good advice. I just wish I could say I had located the entrance to the nest. It's possible I've already dislodged it as there was some rotting wood in that area; but it's also possible the true nest is just the other side of our back fence, which is untended growth immediately behind us. I'm keeping at it, and with the long-sleeved white shirt, hat, gloves, and scarf, I managed to gain a little confidence about working in that area. Now all I need is a saw or cutter on a super long stick (though I venture to say that my bf, who is not tall but is taller than me, might be able to reach the areas that need trimming up) to finish the job on the bird of paradise. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it blooms fresh! Currently the "birds" are black, but I don't know whether that's because they are dried up or whether they'll come in that way. Final cleanup will include some Osmicote, some compost, and a good layer of mulch around it. That ought to help improve the very sandy natural soil back there.

[Nan_PA_6b]

An old-fashioned tree-pruner would work: a long pole with a trigger mechanism at one end and a cutting mechanism at the other.



Tried to plant bulbs at the church today. Ran into a nest of yellow jackets. They didn't mind me much with my little digger, but they were really angry with my hubby digging the deep holes!

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

An old-fashioned tree-pruner would work: a long pole with a trigger mechanism at one end and a cutting mechanism at the other.

Sounds exactly what we need.

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

Tried to plant bulbs at the church today. Ran into a nest of yellow jackets. They didn't mind me much with my little digger, but they were really angry with my hubby digging the deep holes!

Ouch! Yes, we're continuing to work gingerly and with full body protection on when around that plant. We cut out two rotted pieces of something growing up the middle of it, and I suspect either one could have been their nest.

The Dawn-and-water homemade traps were a complete bust. I think the Dawn spray was equally ineffective, though perhaps I took a few out or at least deterred them last weekend before I worked there. If we go at again we're waiting until it's cold. At least the long clothing and veil won't be so uncomfortable.

[bower]

Yellowjacket bodies are insanely tough. I've seen them fly away after multiple hard smacks with a swatter that would have obliterated a fly. I keep a couple of sturdy cardboard tubes around, for the job of dispatching one if they get in the house. Thick roll of newspaper does it too.


I've sprayed soapy water on a ton of ants to no avail. Unless the jet is strong enough to physically crush them, they just shrug it off. Not sure about the special effects of Dawn, but I'd guess it works best when they actually are drowned in the nest flood.