Underground wasps query

[grannymem]

Whilst digging out some weeds and old veg I found what appears to be an underground wasps colony. They seem to have made a home in the roots of some JAs and looked very busy this afternoon.

1. Are they doing damage?
2. Will they sting / attack me if I dig further to investigate what's going on?
3. Do I need to get rid of them?
   I'd be very grateful of any advice and suggestions.
   
   Thanks so much
   .

[Glutton4...]

1 - Dunno, but would guess so.
2 - Yes.
3 - I would, but that's coz I'm allergic.

[rustylady]

Roughly how many were there Grannymem? And are you sure they're wasps not bees?

[pauco]

Any photo's would help solve I.D.


paul.

[binley100]

1. probably disturbing roots
2. yes ( we had one under a dalek and they weren't happy if you went near)
3. We did.......puffed a load of powder in and ran like hell.

[roitelet]

1 They are like the larger wasps and will attack fruit

2 Yes they do sting, My hand has just returned to normal after 4 days!

3 Get rid of them if you can. Petrol soaked stuffed in the hole after dark should do the trick

[buzzingtalk]

Sounds like it is time for a bonfire on your plot! (joking!)

But yes, wasps feed on fruit, which may not be a massive problem as usually they feed of fallen apples, but I think they can burrow into fruit on a tree still (someone correct me if I'm wrong?) They also love to feed on Ivy, which may not be a problem on an allotment but something to consider if you have problems at home.

We had a ground nest once and ended up calling someone out as we couldn't go near the nest without a good 50 or so swarming out, the guy just came and poured something down there (not diesel/petrol) and they died very quickly. put some compost over the nest, and now there are hardly any floating about

[TEB]

Whilst digging out some weeds and old veg I found what appears to be an underground wasps colony. They seem to have made a home in the roots of some JAs and looked very busy this afternoon.

1. Are they doing damage?
2. Will they sting / attack me if I dig further to investigate what's going on?
3. Do I need to get rid of them?
   I'd be very grateful of any advice and suggestions.
   
   Thanks so much
   .

Most of them will die off soon anyway and the virgin queens and drones are due to leave, at this time of year with no food source from the larvae then wasps are on the lookout for sugar and can become aggressive, if it was me and they weren't causing any problems or are in an out of the way place (and I dont suffer any allergy) then I would leave them and perhaps move the nest in Winter. I cannot see they are doing any damage especially this far advanced in the year, yes they will attack you if you disturb the hive area.

[grannymem]

Thank you all for your replies. I thihnk I may have been a bit alarmist as the wasps are still around (about15 - 20) and seem to be obsessed with the JAs - odd, because I've grown the artichokes in the same place for years and never seen this behaviour before.
I'm going to leave them alone, on your advice, and see what happens. I've dug over the patch where the JAs were and apart from a couple of wasps buzzing about I can't see any signs of a nest. They don't seem interested in other JAs around. When I get a chance I'll try to take a photo - they certainly don't look like bees but they are quite small.

Once again, I'm really grateful for the responses and feel reassured by you experts!

[rustylady]

Once again, I'm really grateful for the responses and feel reassured by you experts!

I'm no expert. Still learning.

[Aisles]

They'll be the parastic wasps they lay their eggs on caterpillars and live in borrows underground. Great for geting rid of the unwanted caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly that lay their eggs on your brassica's

But not so good for the caterpillars of our rarer varities of butterflies