God Initially Planned To Use Wasps To Pollinate Flowers. But In the End,… He Went With Plan Bee!
In the last couple of weeks I have noticed the return of my most detested insect the Wasp and most specifically the Yellow Jacket. And although they are not in the numbers that they usually are they are here and will soon become more aggressive. I guess it’s a morbid fascination that I have about them having been stung a few times every year and although I am not highly allergic I do swell up nicely and the affects last over a week. Not to mention it hurts. My reaction to one being nearby is beyond the norm as people have witnessed with some mirth at the Lumby and District Public Market.
People usually try to tell me that if I stop flapping and screaming at them they will leave me alone. I have never been stung while flapping and screaming they usually sneak up on me while I am unaware of their presence and get me then. So far they are just scaring away my Humming Birds and that is my first prompt to set out to get them. I used to feel a bit guilty as I know the importance of them as pollinators, pest control this I now find out does not include the Yellow Jacket as they only consume dead insect pests in the garden. Wasps do a great deal of pollination as well they should to make up for the fact that they are significant predators to Honey Bees. They not only kill them the steal honey from their hives and consume significant amounts of honeydew which is vital to their survival.
Research has found that this predation of Honey Bees actually costs the agriculture industry over 700 million dollars annually. This new information eases my conscious greatly so now I can declare all out war on the Yellow Jacket. Killing the Yellow Jacket by use of a fly swatter is not so affective if you are like me and miss more often than I hit. This method also allows them in their death throws to give off a pheromone that will attract more of them.
So the best plan of action is traps and the use of other natural deterrents such as clove, geranium and lemon grass essential oils. They also do not like peppermint oil and I have used a spray with this and water to spray around my deck.
They also do not like plants like Thyme, Eucalyptus, Basil, Citronella, Marigolds or Geraniums. I find this really does little when in the fall of the year they are out of nest food sources and drunk on fallen fruit and very aggressive. I have just been informed that dryer sheets are also a good repellent and intend on trying that as well.
I always look for any Queen Wasps in early spring as she is the one who after sleeping all winter will look for a good location to build her nest. She will start building with small strips of wood salvaged from sheds and fences and will then start laying eggs. These first hatchlings will be worker wasps and female.
These female wasps will then continue to enlarge the nest and will feed and care for the 100 or so eggs the Queen will now lay some of these will be Drones in the later part of summer and then she will start laying future Queens that will be fertilized from the Drones from other nests. These new Queens will be the only survivors once cold weather is upon us. Ready to start the cycle again next year.
I also keep my eyes open for nests along eaves, in sheds and of course under the tables in my greenhouse or in the hollow tubes that I use for hanging baskets and such. It is best to locate them early while the nest is small and there are fewer inhabitants. Once discovered one can sneak up on them at night while they are all in residence and spray them with boiling soapy water, be sure to thoroughly soak the nest and use lots of soap as this is really affective both in your spray and in any traps that you set up.
Bait your trap with a small amount of meat of any sort then use sugar, water and a small amount of fruit juice, jam or soda and a few drops of soap. Never use honey in your trap as it will attract Honey Bees that you do not want to trap, a small amount of vinegar will also discourage Honey Bees but not the Wasp.
Happy Hunting as well as Happy Gardening!
Samantha Nason
BS Ranch & Greenhouses
250 547 6567
sam1nason@gmail.com
