Wasp wars

[Laura Hillier]

Hi Everyone,

We all know the importance of keeping our plots buzzing with beneficial pollinators, but we also know how much damage wasps can do to ripe fruit.

What are your top tips for humanely discouraging them from attacking your precious crops?


Answers may be edited and published in the August 2013 issue of Grow Your Own.

Laura

[alldigging]

A wasp trap made from a jar and some old jam and water.
It's bee safe as bees don't like jam. Bees are also attacked by wasps so it's helpful to them too.
You can make more sophisticated one by cutting holes in bottles to stop the rain filling the container. Fancy wasp traps are available that are prettier if you're going to hang them near your house.

[PyreneesPlot]

I'm happy to donate fruit to wasps as they are excellent at clearing caterpillars from my cabbages.

[mothhawk]

I second that PP. This time of year wasps are brilliant. It's just in autumn when there is no more brood to feed and fewer or no caterpillars that they become a nuisance, really with nothing to do but hang around until the frosts kill them off.

[veggiechicken]

I leave the wasps alone too. All I do is keep an eye on the ripening plums and apples and remove damaged ones before the wasps find them. They're very fond of windfall apples so I pile some up in an out of the way corner and leave them to feast to their heart's content.