Kitchen Garden Forum

Yesterday we saw a wasp - the sixth we have seen all this year.
I'm aware there was a thread earlier about invasions of wasps - so apologies to the invaded, if I ask: Where are they this year? Has anyone else noticed their absence?
At the moment all our ivy is flowering and this usually attracts masses of bees, hoverflies and wasps as well as butterflies and other insects. This year all the others are there as usual - but not a single wasp.
Oh yes, and the plums are ripe - and not a wasp.

I think they must be here Alan, theres a huge nest across the road in someones garage, and theres also one in the front of my cottage, they have got in between the joists through a little gap in the pointing.
I can here them gnawing the joists when all is quiet.

My next door neighbour has a squatters nest in the roof cavity

You should consider yourself lucky Alan, the rest of us are obviously providing more than adequate board and lodging

My bedroom curtains were alive with them about a month ago, I blocked off the vent high up on the wall where they were coming in haven't seen any since, good riddance as I sat on a chair and got a nasty sting on my Posterier/lower part of my back.

Bren

I have heard, wasps always aim their sting for the largest target.

Ouch, that was below the belt (literally) I hope you get a right earful from Bren for that one!

Hi Alan, I noticed wasps on Sunday for the first time this year, but not as many as I would have expected and none on my damsons or plums (one word from you OH and you are dead meat).

OH I thought we were friends, how wrong one can be.

Bren

Well I had them all over my willow although they've now reduced their numbers to rational levels, but never a one on my plums, which is a first.

Dear Bren, i do hope you know i was only joking.

OH no offence taken I know you were joking.are you ever serious?,on the other hand you may have hit the nail on the head.
Bren

a lot of wasp nests are built underground, i expect a lot have simply drowned this year.

I know what you mean Alan, there wern't the usual quantity of wasps chasing after ice creams & spoiling picnics this summer. But then we didn't get to enjoy as many as those this year

We've got some flowering hedges along our road (sorry - no idea of the name) and these have had swarms of wasps on them whenever the sun's been out in the last few weeks.

Other than the weather, does anyone think that wasp numbers have been affected in the same way as bees this year (which seem down, both in the news and round our way too)?


Colin

Alan - the wasps are all around here. Every time I venture out into the garden I'm plagued by them.

But where are the bees?? There just don't seem to be any around to fertilise the last few flowers on my runner bean plants and I'm worried that many of them may have surcomed to disease if they haven't already failed to survive the poor summer.

Primrose

We can't move for bees round here.

They've been replaced by Mosquitoes!!

Dammed things are everywhere


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