Wasps

[Anti-Mild]

Now I remember a topic last year that was on about the lack of wasps around last summer. So far this Spring there has been an unbelievable amount of the little beggars, making me wonder if their appearance is cyclical, especially given that last summer was very warm and the spring has been comparitively cool.

Can anyone shed some light on this subject or am I the only one experiencing this infestation?

AM

[Methuselah]

Just had a pesky little bar steward trying to enter my living room...That's a bad sign!

[Anti-Mild]

Just had a pesky little bar steward trying to enter my living room...That's a bad sign!

I've had 2 in my house today, and they're bloody huge - more like hornets!

[Methuselah]

I've had 2 in my house today, and they're bloody huge - more like hornets!

Mine was as big as a blackbird!

[Verglas]

The queen wasp is much longer in body (not fatter, just the same yellow) than the 'norm' and are the only ones who live through the winter, so they are the ones to swat if you see them looking for nest sites, this may cut down the numbers pestering you later on !.

[A Gower Guy]

Seen a few wasps but only recently, two were trying to get into the shed, by trying to get into a screw hole and there was a baby one (it was small) on the window.

This is the first year for a while that i've seen a bee before a wasp. I'm dreading it when the y get in the house though

[Louby]

I havent seen 1 so far, and would be quite happy if it stays like that!

[Hemlock]

Have seen quite a few already, and all have met a newspaper or something equally terminal and I fully intend to keep up my 100% record, I can stand most insects but not wasps, evil little buggers.

[geri2k]

Wasps are big buggers this year!

There was a bumble bee the size of an ox flew in my back door the other day, had to try and usher it towards the front door to let it out. It was so fat it could hardly fly! Scared the crap out of me.

[SP1986]

Bumbles bees really don't bother people though, in fact theyre as wary of us as we are of them. Therefore they hold the same amount of respect for us as we do for them. They wouldn't want to waste one sting for no reason, as it would kill them.

Wasps on the other hand are a pain they are natural predators and because they dont die when they sting, they are perfect defence mechanism. I personally had to seal a hole from which there was a nest inside the wall cavity - so we would have as much as 8 wasps on the window at one time. They went back to the nest at night so no chance of night stings, but we have sealed it up now so no more wasps will come in.

[Honey]

I hate Wasps and any insect that stings, my daughter suffers from a rare disease so shes very sensitive to stinging insects etc - therefore I have invested in a fly screen for the back door ! its fab [only £4 on ebay!] - no more panicing when a bee/wasp/gnat is flying about !

Honey

[Andy H]

not seen any wasps so far but lots of bees

[Snow_Fan_Man]

Is it just me, or are the wasps bigger than ever this year? I've seen quite alot already and they actually look mammoth comapred to the size of them last year or in previous years. Will there be a "Planet of the Wasps" type invasion? :blush: My bet is it's something to do with Global Warming, either that or i'm just seeing all the big wasps out there compared to the little 'uns. Ugh, i fricken' hate them!

Edited May 9, 2006 by Snow_Fan_Man

[Hemlock]

We already have a thread about wasps so i'm going to merge this thread with the existing one :blush:

[Mondy]

Saved a Queen bee last Sunday...enormous it was...had difficulty trapping it in a glass to free it from the ever ending window (it couldn't get out of)..

Have no probs with bees, they only sting unless really provoked. Wasps are a different kettle of fish (although they aren't really fish), but, they'll take great pleasure buzzing you with the sole purpose of stinging..

..little I am an idiots. :blush:

[Snow_Fan_Man]

Aah, i see i'm not the only person in the same boat!

[snow raven]

Although I cant say I have seen a lot of wasps or bees this year so far, the few I have seen do seem to be bigger than normal. Mind you, having said that, we had a bee and a wasp attack in one night during the rather brief hot spell last week due to the windows being open - and 2 in the space of as many hours does seem quite a lot - for the time of year, anyway.

I'm just dreading the yearly guarenteed train journey where I am wedged in a window seat with a wasp doing a merry dance headbutting the window next to me. Im breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. *shudder*

[Angel15]

Although I cant say I have seen a lot of wasps or bees this year so far, the few I have seen do seem to be bigger than normal. Mind you, having said that, we had a bee and a wasp attack in one night during the rather brief hot spell last week due to the windows being open - and 2 in the space of as many hours does seem quite a lot - for the time of year, anyway.

I'm just dreading the yearly guarenteed train journey where I am wedged in a window seat with a wasp doing a merry dance headbutting the window next to me. Im breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. *shudder*

My advice is MOVE if you are in that position and if the person next to you complain, just tread on his a*rse and make sure you have pointy heels on - I was in a carriage one year when a great fat bumble bee started buzzing over my head (back seat in the corner of the train) .. I just said "Scuse me.. NOW!" to the person next to me and got out of there - But is it a damn nightmare.

[Somerset Squall]

Have seen a few bees but no wasps at all this year yet, only saw 1 all last summer aswell. Suits me.

[Mondy]

Up here, they've been out for at least 2 weeks..strange to say the least :blink:

Had a couple of pints in a nearby beer garden earlier. You guessed it..little wasp comes over to SEE IF HE CAN HAVE ANYTHING I'VE GOT <_<

[Angel15]

Up here, they've been out for at least 2 weeks..strange to say the least :blink:

Had a couple of pints in a nearby beer garden earlier. You guessed it..little wasp comes over to SEE IF HE CAN HAVE ANYTHING I'VE GOT <_<

I think there may be a problem with them this year as even the bees are out early and they are huge - I have seen a few wasps and they seem larger than the average wasp! I will have to get that insect netting stuff to put up at the windows.

[A Gower Guy]

got followed (chased :blush: ) around the garden by a wasp ealier on, one of the negitives of summer :unsure: for me.

[SP1986]

I would imagine the larger wasps are something to do with the colder winter we've had. Either we're seeing queen wasps everywhere or the queen fed them more than usual when they were born, perhaps due to the winter conditions, although that depends on the birthspan of the wasp, which I don't know.

[frogesque]

At this time of year in there are very few worker wasps. What you are seeing is probably queen wasps looking for nesting sites, scavenging wood to chew for pulp to make the nest with and food to feed her developing young. Once the first young emerge they will take over the worker duties and the queen will adopt her primary role of egg layer and nest matriach.

Hornets are much larger than an ordiany wasp and quite rare in the UK

We've had a peculiar winter this year and the weather, though cold, has been dry and this enables many more queen wasps (and other insects) to survive hibernation. Last year was a wet and dreech spring and numbers were well down but this year I think we can expect a wasp population explosion.

Just part of the natural cycle they go through.

On a side note I've also seen loads of Red Mason Bees collecting mud for their nests. These bees are something like a small bumble bee and are covered with orangy red hair, they are very docile and will not sting unless severely provoked. They are beautiful gentle creatures and fantastic early pollinators (especially of fruit trees) so if you can, please encourage them to make homes in your garden.

[Hairy Celt]

got stung by one the other day, a new and rather unpleasant experience. vinegar every where, didn't do much good. this afternoon there was a bumble bee in the garden that was mightily upset at all the digging - i guess it had an underground nest, but not too sure on their habits. any way it buggered off after it realised that where it was trying to get to was now just concrete!