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Hard working wasps

Blackswanwood

Blackswanwood

Old Oak
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Name
Robert
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This wasn’t there last Thursday but it is this morning. I have to hand it to the builder for both the work rate and impressive design!

I have previously had a zero tolerance for wasp nests but have mellowed and plan to leave this one alone. Apparently they only stay for one season so it can come down in the winter.
 
That looks like a bald-faced hornet nest. My live and let live policy with hornets and yellow jackets has not been good because they can be more aggressive than wasps or bees. I hope you have better success, but I would not hesitate to destroy that nest immediately.
 
Mike said:
That looks like a bald-faced hornet nest. My live and let live policy with hornets and yellow jackets has not been good because they can be more aggressive than wasps or bees. I hope you have better success, but I would not hesitate to destroy that nest immediately.
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I’m pretty sure it’s a wasp nest Mike. Google tells me that we don’t get bald faced hornets in the UK.
 
AJB Temple said:
........ They only become a nuisance when the males get kicked out in the autumn.
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Or you happen to disturb their routine by weeding the flower bed adjacent to their ground nest, as my better half can currently vociferously attest to.

Don't think her initial request for me to not destroy the nest would now still hold good after a couple of days with a severely swollen hand.

Subject irrelevant now anyway as Badger did it the same night we found it.


As an aside, considering the size a seasons worth of nest building can get to in the sheds, roof space etc. What happens to the soil volume they must excavate to build their brood nest underground? It never manifests itself above ground like an ants nest for instance.
 
Also found this while tidying up a raised bed … surprised he’s so small after a diet of strawberries!

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The body is about an inch long.
 
Paper wasp's nest; I had them regularly in my loft in Belfast and now here in Northumberland in my garden shed.

The wee rodent is a field vole. The field mouse has a longer, more curved snout.

The nest has exquisitely beautiful layers, clearly seen when you section it. I do however suggest you wait until its occupants have left before you have a shufti.....
 
Blackswanwood said:
@CHJ Does that mean the inhabitants of this nest will be supporting an underground one nearby? If so I need to be on the lookout?
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Sorry haven't a clue as to the relationship between the ground nesting colonies and the shed/roof clans. We get nests all over the place as well as roof, and sheds,, we come across them inside our Cotswold Stone garden walls, Beech hedges etc, the latter being extremely interesting if late summer hedge trimming finds one.
 
That nest would be gone if it was on my house. :rolleyes: I know wasps do a lot of good but having been attacked numerous times I can't stand the little bu**ers.
We had a nest in the top of the wall cavity over a bedroom window last year where they found a way in under the bottom tiles. Couldn't have a window open and within days of spotting them any attempt to open a window even 10 metres away was met with instant reaction so I had to get the experts in from the LA with their long pole and poison powder.
This certainly wasn't autumn which is when we do have issues around the apple trees with "drunk" wasps. There's also a willow in one of the field hedges that produces sap and gets covered with wasps just when the hedges are due to be trimmed. I believe they feed on the aphids which feed on the sap but not certain of that.
 
I usually give flying stingers a generous distance, since they are doing a great job of pollinating. However, when they set up shop near my windows and doors, they have to go. One of my nieces visits several times a year with her family, and all must carry EpiPens because of adverse reactions to bee stings.
 
Personally, I’d leave a wasps’ nest alone, but If you can’t live with it, there’s no need to use poison. Get a wet-dry vac, put water and washing up liquid in it, attach a pole to the hose, prop it up so the sucky end is pointing at the entrance to the nest, turn it on and wait. It might take several hours over a couple of days, but it’s effective and doesn’t have unintended side effects like poison.
 
My tolerance over the years has been very limited ever since having a severe attack some 65+ years ago, out walking near farm dew ponds with current partner to be, we saw a cow in panic mode under a bank too high for it to climb.

Jumping down and attempting to drive the animal back through the water to a shallower bank I found that she had put a foot through a ground nest, taking time to tell partner to run, several times, before she reacted, I acquired a fair percentage of the annoyed individuals on my left arm. Two+ weeks with double sized balloon arm slathered in some obnoxious witches brew. has left somewhat of a marker on my psyche.
 
Not a hope where ours was unfortunately as the entry point/s were behind the gutter at roof level and no way I was going up a ladder. The exterminator guy said he wouldn't either. He was fully suited with a very long pole and the powdre was dispensed using compressed air, he said it took double the dose he would normally use. Even at ground level they went nuts and attacked him.
 
CHJ said:
Sorry haven't a clue as to the relationship between the ground nesting colonies and the shed/roof clans.
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Different species Chas. No connection or intermingling.
The ground-based ones (I think) are nastier, as they seem to co-habit in greater numbers than the paper ones, making attacks by them uglier. Yes, I know, Bob (Lons) will point to his story above and say "There were gazillions of them!", but as a generalisation, I still consider burrowing wapses more problematic.
I just hope those European hornets do not grow more prevalent in terms of problematic species; climate change would seem to indicate that is a pious, but ultimately flawed, wish.
Sam
 
I haven't encountered the ground dwelling variety Sam, and have no desire to if they are more aggressive.
It's possibly just down to me as I was even attacked once by my next door neighbour's bees while cutting the grass along the field hedge and then a couple of years ago when they swarmed on our tree he came around to collect them, we were standing maybe 15 yards away when one of them landed on my hand, I just kept still and the little bu**er stung me just as my neighbour was saying they're harmless. :ROFLMAO:
I wouldn't ever intentionally harm a bee of course and wasps are fine as long as they keep their distance.
 
SamQ aka Ah! Q! said:
Different species Chas. No connection or intermingling.
---
Sam
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Thanks Sam, thought they may be, they are certainly significant smaller in body size than those seen in the roof nests.

Someone told me all I needed to do was look at the difference of the face markings, I'll not bother getting that close.
 
Despite best efforts to give them a wide berth the wasps are turning out to be aggressive little blighters. The nest is also suddenly starting to grow again. I’m afraid they will have to go!

Previous nests have been easy to deal with using pyrotechnics but given where this one is I think I need to use insecticide.

Any alternative ideas that have worked will be welcome.

I’ve watch several videos that came up on YouTube which has simply confirmed how stupid some people are!
 
For the last few days there have been loads of what I think are 'wasps' who seem to like the cucumber plants. They're not aggressive and appear slightly smaller than your average common or garden wasp beastie. When I do the watering of an evening, they don't bother me and I don't bother them. Any ideas chaps? - Rob
 
Blackswanwood said:
Despite best efforts to give them a wide berth the wasps are turning out to be aggressive little blighters. The nest is also suddenly starting to grow again. I’m afraid they will have to go!

Previous nests have been easy to deal with using pyrotechnics but given where this one is I think I need to use insecticide.

Any alternative ideas that have worked will be welcome.

I’ve watch several videos that came up on YouTube which has simply confirmed how stupid some people are!
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Years ago I was on a campsite and the warden simply poured about a pint of Diesel into the nest, this one was in the ground.
Please note, he didn’t set light to it! He said it worked every time.
 
I had to “treat” a wasp nest that was in the ground around the foundations of the entrance to my greenhouse. Not with diesel though. Elsewhere in the garden I would have left alone.
Flying ant day is fast approaching and judging by the number of green woodpeckers I have seen on the lawn recently recently I expect there will be loads.
 
Woodbloke said:
For the last few days there have been loads of what I think are 'wasps' who seem to like the cucumber plants. They're not aggressive and appear slightly smaller than your average common or garden wasp beastie. When I do the watering of an evening, they don't bother me and I don't bother them. Any ideas chaps? - Rob
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I have a section of willow that's part of the field hedge and when I do the cutting in September I can't get near it for thousands of small wasps. I'v read up on it and apparently they feed on the aphids feeding on the sap. Might be a similar thing?
 
I’ve got about ten of those big nests around my place; they get left alone unless they’re a nuisance. MAPP gas torch or permethrin spray if so.

The chickens go mad for the combs full of grubs.
 
Lons said:
I have a section of willow that's part of the field hedge and when I do the cutting in September I can't get near it for thousands of small wasps. I'v read up on it and apparently they feed on the aphids feeding on the sap. Might be a similar thing?
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Thanks Lons, could be. They're certainly hovering around two of the cucumber plants and don't appear to go near the toms etc - Rob
 
Guineafowl21 said:
I’ve got about ten of those big nests around my place; they get left alone unless they’re a nuisance. MAPP gas torch or permethrin spray if so.

The chickens go mad for the combs full of grubs.
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When my son empties the pool skimmer he dumps the insects over the fence and as you say the chickens go mad.
 
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