Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi Johnboy. I have also had this happen to me. Years ago I was mowing a field with an Allen Sythe in a skirt, tshirt and wellies. (don't ask why) when I ran over a wasp nest in the ground, they hit me big time, arms, legs in the wellies up the skirt neck, face in fact everywhere. I ran for my life and ended up in hospital with many many stings and a nasty reaction. I am terrified now of wasps so won't disturb them at any cost.

I sympathise with you Haggis I hope they dont cause too much of a problem.

Hi Catherine,
I am not afraid of Wasps now I just give then as wide a berth as possible.
I do not try to destroy their nests and this year was fascinated to see them collecting pollen from a Cotoneaster bush that I have close to the house. I asked my local Bee expert and he said that there are very few plants such as Figwort and Cotoneaster, mainly, where they are able to collect pollen because the petals are very short and the Wasp lacks the tongue that a Bee has so can only manage very few plants.
They do also take caterpillars to feed their young so they have a vital part to play in nature.
Sitting in my tunnel at the potting bench the Wasps come and eat the wood from the door ledges and uprights and you can actually hear then gnawing away. They make a kind of paper to make the new nesting cells.
Also I get the solitary Wasps and Wood Wasps doing the same.
JB.

I wasn't worried about wasps till yesterday and today, I walked on one yesterday in the bedroom and got stung and this morning picked something up off the dressing table and got stung on the palm of my hand at the moment the back of my hand and wrist is very swollen I went to the local clinic and got some treatment for it.
I have searched my bedroom but can't find out where they are coming from.
Bren

Dear Bren, i do hope the swelling doesn't last too long, and also hope that it is not too painful.

Hopefully it's just a coincidence that you have had two wasps.

Bren wrote:I wasn't worried about wasps till yesterday and today, I walked on one yesterday in the bedroom and got stung and this morning picked something up off the dressing table and got stung on the palm of my hand at the moment the back of my hand and wrist is very swollen I went to the local clinic and got some treatment for it.
I have searched my bedroom but can't find out where they are coming from.
Bren

Hi Bren,

Sorry to hear that.
Many years ago, we used to get home from work and every room had wasps in it. The were crawling down the central heating pipies from the loft, where we found a large nest.

Swelling on hand almost back to normal.

OH. it was very painful for a while till I took some painkillers a couple of times.
PJ.
I haven't found out yet how they got into the room.
Bren

Interesting article in the Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/ga ... pests.html mentions the Waspinator



http://waspinator.co.uk/

Hi Alan,
I read that interesting article in Saturdays Telegraph and wondered if something so simple could do the trick.
I came to the conclusion that it probably does work. Obviously sophistication is not for Wasps and something so simple they do understand and it spells warning in Waspee!
I wonder how many other very simple things could be used to warn off such pests?
JB.