Wasps

[Mikey]

Yesterday while sat having a drink on my verandah, I noticed what looked like a brown ping pong ball attached to the underside of the polycarbonate sheeting.

On closer inspection I found what I thought was a hibernating wasp, actually I now know the queen wasp is starting to make a new home. I can't have it there as my daughter will go loopy loo come the summer and won't go outside, but I feel bad about knocking it down. the wasp has clearly already put in a reasonable amount of effort.

I don't dislike wasps, but if I get rid of it will it try to set a new home again in the same spot or will it move on elsewhere.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Although they are actually very useful around the garden, I hate the little blighters with a vengeance. I wouldn't mind them so much if they stung only in self defence but they sting for the hell of it and it hurts.

[Hilary B]

Wasps are useful through much of Spring and early summer (unless you have bees.......). Once the young queens are ready to fly, the workers in the old nest are nothing but a nuisance (that is when they get in your jam sandwiches).
If you remove the nest, odds are she will look for the next best place, which might be 2" away, or next door......

[Shadylane]

I've been trying to like wasps more these last couple of years but I wouldn't want a wasps nest in the back garden That would be too much. I wouldn't blame you for getting rid- even though it would be a shame.

[chris]

I'd get rid of it, and it it was starting to be rebuilt again, get rid again, etc... Esp with young children around! If she was persistant in making it, I'd probably capture her and cart her off elsewhere! (Ely maybe? ;p)

[Mikey]

I'd get rid of it, and it it was starting to be rebuilt again, get rid again, etc... Esp with young children around! If she was persistant in making it, I'd probably capture her and cart her off elsewhere! (Ely maybe? ;p)

You are very harsh dude!!.

Well I knocked her home down last night when she was out, and she has started rebuilding in the same spot. She looked quite confused when she first came back. I'll be out there with some flypaper tonight me thinks, I need a new one for the greenhouse anyway.

Her days are numbered.

[Mikey]

Well, after knocking down her second home, she moved on. I didn't want to kill her, I don't dislike wasps at all. I hope her third attempt has been more successful.

[mothhawk]

If you blow up a big brown paper bag and pin it up on your verandah, queen wasps will think it is another queen's nest (they are not very bright), and not build anywhere nearby. There is a commercially made thing called a waspinator I believe, which is a paper bag but a bit fancier.

[TallGirl]

If you blow up a big brown paper bag and pin it up on your verandah, queen wasps will think it is another queen's nest (they are not very bright), and not build anywhere nearby. There is a commercially made thing called a waspinator I believe, which is a paper bag but a bit fancier.

Ooh, that's a really good idea.

Wasps have tried to set up home in my shed two years running now. I know they're really useful around the garden, and if the shed was larger than 4'x6' I might even have left them because the queen seemed to get used to us coming and going pretty soon... but I draw the line at having to walk through a cloud of wasps under a freshly-joggled nest to get at the lawnmower.

The first year, I knocked the nest down and the queen moved on.

The second year, I knocked the nest down. The next day she was back. I knocked it down again. She came back. I knocked it down, she came back, I knocked it down... get the message dammit! I don't want to kill you!
Then she spent a few days trying to set up home and have babies and ignored the ominous looming bottle of coke'n'water standing temptingly in the middle of the shed floor.
Finally I lost patience, muttered a couple of wibbly prayers under my breath and jammed the open neck of the coke'n'water bottle over the open neck of her golf-ball-sized nest, as she was inside it. Exit one VERY angry wasp (I'm gibbering faintly and thinking 'hang on, hang on, hang on), which shortly afterwards fell into the coke'n'water and drowned, rather more slowly and far more guilt-makingly than I would have liked.

I took the nest down with a sigh of relief, and thought 'that's that for another year'.

Dammit, two days later not one but TWO more wasps started setting up home inside the shed. One was in my bag of 'browns' for the compost, and the other was right under the door. This time I was merciless and splatted them against the shed wall very quickly with one of the weatherboards, which had fallen off but was not useless after all.

Next time I'll leave the dead nest or try the paper bag. Thanks again for the tip!

[Tam]

I feel quite strongly about wasps. I have always had them in the garden and have never been stung since I was a child. I admit that they become redundant in the late summer, but I don't begrudge them a few plums for all the good work they have done. I should mention that I have seen an incredible number of summers.

[Tracebe]

I popped down to my plot last night. I have half of the plot covered in black weed fabric, anyway off I toddled up to the end and pulled back the bit of concrete holding it in place, peeled back the black stuff and started tugging at the now dying off grass. I thought "what on earth is that buzzing".... i was sure nobody had bees near by! when I looked at my ankles there were about 20 wasps buzzing around inspecting me! I froze and watched them for a few seconds, Look of panic on my face, then slowly replaced the fabric and the block and one by one they all went back in.
Sigh of relief follwed by a quick exit! I'm not going to use that area until I dig it over in the colder weather so I guess they can stay there as they will die off in winter. Have to put a notice up though .... creepy little blighters :0)

T x

[scarey55]

We have just found one attached to our barbecue KK is all for knocking it down and killing them "because I was stung, once, millions of years ago"

As you can probably tell, I don't agree. The barbecue is covered and they are underneath the cover just going about their business but I'm afraid I can't convince him to leave it alone.

I'm in the camp that says, leave them alone and they will leave you alone but I know there are many who disagree with me and, having said that I will probably be stung next time I go on the terrace I did know a vicar once who said that God was having an off day when he created wasps

Here's hoping the exterminator is too expensive and he decides it isn't worth the cost.