Wasps

[nitro_deluxe]

They're back;

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

Not entirely convinced that's a wasp? Plenty of 'fakes' knocking around. Even the humble hover-fly seems to look meaner nowadays

Beware of imitations.

Edited July 21, 2013 by triple_x1

[Methuselah]

They don't like wasps to me, either...Some kind of hover fly, perhaps?

[Candice]

They're back;

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know those are harmless hoverflies not wasps

[nitro_deluxe]

Not seen too many wasps as yet...quite a few Crane flies mind? Seems a bit early for both to be honest.

Expecting a sudden surge in flying-ants maybe? Critters eh, funny ole creatures sometimes.

[Crepuscular Ray]

They're back;

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

Definitely hoverflies. They tend to have one pair of wings, while wasps have two pairs. Not that you'll find me getting near enough to the latter to count their wings.

[Methuselah]

That's what I saw...Don't bees, wasps and ants all have two pairs of wings?

[AWD]

Shows how much I know about my insects then.

I saw the gold & black back and wings and thought "Wasp".

Still something I haven't noticed in my gardens until this weekend though.

[Methuselah]

Shows how much I know about my insects then.

I saw the gold & black back and wings and thought "Wasp".

Still something I haven't noticed in my gardens until this weekend though.

But it will reduce your panics, AWD?

[UV-RAY]

I honestly don't know why people don't like wasps. Lets look at the facts they spend 6-8 weeks being a gardner's best friend by reducing the aphid population, then the next 12-18 weeks doing their best to sting you. What's not to like? 

[nitro_deluxe]

Shows how much I know about my insects then. ;)I saw the gold & black back and wings and thought "Wasp".Still something I haven't noticed in my gardens until this weekend though.

Easily done..had a hover fly swoop into the car, via an open window - initially thought wasp then all was revealed.It eventually hovered off to pastures new.

[AderynCoch]

Not seen many wasps at all this year. That must be why I've come back into the house so many times covered with aphids.

 

Lots of bumblebees this year though.

[Cheshire Freeze]

Oh yes they'll soon be back, flying around and stinging people for their own amusement. I did do my best to eradicate as many queen wasps in the spring as I came across them. Maybe if everyone did the same we'd see these vile creatures take a hit in terms of numbers. With themselves and giant house spiders, I'm sure the next few months will be nowt but fun.....not.

[SomeLikeItHot]

I am finally seeing wasps in great numbers due to them building a nest in an inaccessable part of my upstairs guttering. Some of them seem to be working their way through the roof cavity and down one of the light fittings. Also seeing a lot of bees now that summer arrived.

 

Anyway while I find an indoor invasion of wasps annoying. I'm happy to live and let live outdoors, as they are important pollinators. I find it amusing case of furry animal syndrome where we seek to conserve the furry honey bees, but kill the hated wasps when both are important for similar reasons. I'm waiting to see a donate £2 to save the wasps poster on the train. I think I will be waiting a while.

[Steve C]

Apparently the low wasp numbers this year were caused by the early warm weather last year.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23356578

 

To me they are one of the worst things about summer. I'm not really nervous of them though - I had one crawl on my face while at an outdoor music event a couple of years ago and only flicked it away when it went very close to my eye. Luckily I wasn't stung - I thought it'd be a 50/50 thing though, as I couldn't see it properly, obviously.

 

I do find people a bit irritating who go into a complete flap and flail their arms about. One of my friends does it lots and I always think "I hope you don't swat that and it ends up disappearing down my t-shirt top etc.!" I'd be pretty annoyed if that happened to put it mildly!

 

Another insect I really don't like (bluebottles and the like just annoy me and I have to try to kill mosquitos, if I spot them) is the horsefly.  Anyone had issues with these? I went on a nightmare walk and encountered these little horrors, in a hilly area, a few years ago - luckily not near where I live. I'd never consider walking in that area, at that time of year again. Horrible, vicious blighters!

[Eugene]

Yes walking in the countryside is a nightmare currently because of loads of bluebottles attacking you, have to restrict my walks to town area's which aren't too bad or very early in the morning, haven't seen any flying ants yet.

 

Wasps I don't find a problem.

[Methuselah]

Yes walking in the countryside is a nightmare currently because of loads of bluebottles attacking you, have to restrict my walks to town area's which aren't too bad or very early in the morning, haven't seen any flying ants yet.

 

Wasps I don't find a problem.

Well Eugene, I've yet to be viciously attacked by swarm of bluebottles! 

[UV-RAY]

Well Eugene, I've yet to be viciously attacked by swarm of bluebottles! 

Beware of the killer bluebottles Pete!

[AderynCoch]

Another insect I really don't like (bluebottles and the like just annoy me and I have to try to kill mosquitos, if I spot them) is the horsefly.  Anyone had issues with these? I went on a nightmare walk and encountered these little horrors, in a hilly area, a few years ago - luckily not near where I live. I'd never consider walking in that area, at that time of year again. Horrible, vicious blighters!

 

Oh aye. Those things can sure bite.

[Cloud 10]

Oh aye. Those things can sure bite.

 

Quite stealthy those horse flies as well,little brown b******s!

 

Regarding wasps,i woke up one morning last summer to find one crawling up my face,although amazingly

it didn't sting me.

 

I don't care to repeat that experience though,or the hysteria that followed!

[sundog]

Another insect I really don't like (bluebottles and the like just annoy me and I have to try to kill mosquitos, if I spot them) is the horsefly.  Anyone had issues with these? I went on a nightmare walk and encountered these little horrors, in a hilly area, a few years ago - luckily not near where I live. I'd never consider walking in that area, at that time of year again. Horrible, vicious blighters!

Think it was a horsefly that gave me a nasty bite last week on my leg. I was down the country and wearing shorts due to the warm weather, saw some kind of fly (brownish in colour) on the back of my leg then all of a sudden it gave me a nasty bite,the area soon became red and the redness lasted a few days. Edited July 25, 2013 by sundog

[Steve C]

Think it was a horsefly that gave me a nasty bite last week on my leg. I was down the country and wearing shorts due to the warm weather, saw some kind of fly (brownish in colour) on the back of my leg then all of a sudden it gave me a nasty bite,the area soon became red and the redness lasted a few days.

 

Yep, sounds like it. They can actually tear small chunks of flesh because of their serrated mouthparts.

 

The first one that bit me on the walk I described (in the Nephin Beg range of hills in County Mayo) drew a reasonable amount of blood. Happily it died for its effort! I then spent the next 5 or 6 miles of the walk, constantly swatting them and must have killed at least 50 of them before the walk was done. I was also lucky in having long clothing. A person who accompanied me on the walk, took a more laissez faire attitude to them and ended up with lots of itching red weals, that lasted a couple of weeks.

[James M]

Well I've wondered what the scraping and crackling sound in my room was for ages (it was driving me crazy and stopping me from sleeping sometimes). Turns out its a wasp nest just above my bedroom window!

[Evening thunder]

We have wasps that like our back fence, usually 3 on it now at least, and I have recently also seen them on our old garden bench.. can actually hear them 'munching' on the wood on the fence sometimes. Presumably means there's a nest nearby.. yay.

 

Had two in the house yesterday too for the first time this year.

[Jax]

I still have yet to see a wasp this year, crikey!