Tormented by wasps

[Two_Sheds]

I know they can be annoying but don't forget that wasps do a lot of good also and act as pollinators.

Yes, and I love them early in the year. However, in August they morph into totally aggressive nasty little beasties that will pursue you around the house & garden, even if you stay calm and don't flap.

I think they get drunk on ripe fruit and want to start a fight

Hairspray works like flyspray and smells nicer.

The best thing is one of these (from the Pound Shop), but I'm afraid it does trap the stupider hoverflies too. They fly up a hole in the bottom to feed on the lager/juice inside the rim, but because wasps can't fly down they can't get out of the trap, and drown in the lager.

[jackie j]

My mum always had jam jars on the outside window ledge never had a wasp in the house. When my boys were small we went on a day out, it was a bit chilly so as we got out of the car I put my 4yr old sons coat on him zipped it up and he sarted screaming, I thought I had caught the zip in his neck but no I had trapped a wasp and it had stung him on the neck. I have never seen anything swell so quickly good job they had a first aid post to use just inside the entrance, and we hadnt even paid to get in. He is not afraid of them and never has been.

[Hilary B]

I am not convinced by the Waspinator, not least because it doesn't look much like the wasp nests I've seen (and those are usually somewhere inside roofs). There are many species of wasp around the world, and I reckon that thing will only deter one species, NOT the one we mostly get in the UK.
I would go for a trap approach, but not until August, because wasps ARE useful in the early part of the year. Once August arrives, put up jars half-full of jam-flavoured water, and let them drown in delight!
Be careful when emptying out the jars. There may be some live wasps on the top!

[Two_Sheds]

I just had to come indoors because the darn wasps (where are they all coming from? So many !) are finding me fascinating - one just buzzed right into my face like it was saying "yeah, come on, you want a piece of me?"

Ruddy things

[peanut]

My house was getting full of this afternoon, went to investigate only to find them swarming around my "green wqste" wheelie bin, I opened it up and they were everywhere.

I'm afraid I got the ant powder puffer in there.....problem now gone!

[Glutton4...]

Our greenhouse is full of them - blimmin things. I swell-up if I'm stung, so try to avoid them, but they seem to keep following me and buzzing round my head

It's difficult to stay calm, but getting 'ansty' just makes the b*ggers worse!

[lizzylemon]

We must be having a 'good' year for bugs this year. I thought it was supposed to be the other way after a cold winter? Anyway it's the same here in the fens. It's been quite calm on the wind front just recently so they're not even being blown away.

I sat yesterday watching the 'flying needles with attitude' eating the wood on our chestnut pailing fence - must be a nest somewhere.

2-sheds, I agree with you, this time of year they suddenly want to take on the world. I can't go near my raspberry canes cos them jaspers are ALL over the fruit.

I don't believe in killing creatures but these things just ask for it. I have a very bad reaction to their sting (not deadly luckily) and have scars from each time I've been stung and staying still or failing arms makes no difference.

Take yesterday for instance - I just walked into the kitchen and the sh*t landed on my face. Luckily I knocked it off without being stung.

Bees on the other hand, I will happily let land on me and then buzz off - they really wont sting unless threatened.

Trying to teach DD to be careful of them is tricky. We spent the early summer watching bees and making bees sounds and now I have to teach her to avoid the wasps - not easy for 16mths.

[lizzylemon]

I agree with you whole heartedly - Wasps sting just cos they can so you do have justification in your fear.

I think people mainly laugh cos it's normally big burly beer swilling macho men who suddenly turn white and start doing the wasp jive. But if someone saw me screaming my head off and flapping around like crazy legs crane cos a spider is on me, they'd be in hysterics too.

(My dad once kicked the bathroom door down cos he thought I was being murdered. He was down stairs, I'd taken a shower, next all he heard was blood curdling screams from the bathroom - I'd dried my self off and a MASSIVE spider had dropped off the towel onto my leg. Hence ridiculous OTT screaming fit from yours truly [and the fact dad had seen me naked didn't help!! lol])

[Two_Sheds]

I'm not scared of spiders, but there was an earwig in the bed last night. He was tucked up underneath me, I only noticed when I got up to use the loo.
Screamed like a girl, I did.

[Hilary B]

We must be having a 'good' year for bugs this year. I thought it was supposed to be the other way after a cold winter? Anyway it's the same here in the fens. It's been quite calm on the wind front just recently so they're not even being blown away.

I sat yesterday watching the 'flying needles with attitude' eating the wood on our chestnut pailing fence - must be a nest somewhere.

2-sheds, I agree with you, this time of year they suddenly want to take on the world. I can't go near my raspberry canes cos them jaspers are ALL over the fruit.

I don't believe in killing creatures but these things just ask for it. I have a very bad reaction to their sting (not deadly luckily) and have scars from each time I've been stung and staying still or failing arms makes no difference.

Take yesterday for instance - I just walked into the kitchen and the sh*t landed on my face. Luckily I knocked it off without being stung.

Bees on the other hand, I will happily let land on me and then buzz off - they really wont sting unless threatened.

Trying to teach DD to be careful of them is tricky. We spent the early summer watching bees and making bees sounds and now I have to teach her to avoid the wasps - not easy for 16mths.

If wasps are still munching wood, they are still nest-building. I love watching them at that. Sometimes you can see the tracks where they have been chewing down through the 'faded' surface to new wood.
Unless you get too close to the nest, or otherwise give them a bad scare, they won't sting while gathering building materials, but when they are off getting hyped up on fruit (fermented or not) they will sting just because you are between them and where they are going!

[HeyWayne]

Quite a few wasps who flew into the kitchen last night whilst I was trying to feed Bean fealt the sharp end of my tea towel.

Whhhooo-ttssssh!

[petal]

Yes, lots of wasps this year. Therefore, I got my kids one of those electric shock swatters - it has really brought the sadistic side out in them! Fried wasps everywhere now.

[Mac]

Hi, I can fully recommend the Waspinator. I got two this year, and so far have had very few wasps. We only moved in at Christmas so didn't know if this was just a non wasp area (fields and woods, so doubted that assumption). Gave another Waspinator to the Outlaws, and have just had reports that they can't believe how well it works! Their deck is normally awash with the little vicious stripeys, but so far they have counted on one hand how many they have seen. This was put to the test fully last weekend when they had a full family party including sticky fingered children and plenty of fizzy juice - not a single wasp on the deck area where the Waspinator is hanging. FIL going to get a reduction from pest control manny as wasp control now not in his contract!