You is just sayin'that 'cause I is black...and yellow

[doofaloofa]

NO!



YES!

Wasps

Many people (as once I did) consider these (anti) social insects a nuisance, the chavs of the insect world

But let me tell you of my Road to Damascus

A few years ago I spotted a wasp on a cabbage plant. This was unusual to me so I looked closer and to my surprise the wasp was busy cutting a cabbage catapiller in half which it then flew off with

From that day forth my atitude changed towards these angry black and yellow predators

My biggest problem though has been stumbling upon nests, usually whilst strimming, so now I have built a wasp nest box



Basicly a plywood box (2'x2'x16") set upside down on a post





"But why?" I hear you ask

My theory is that a colony will build a nest somewhere in the vacinity, so by placing my nest box in a place where is convenient for us it will ruduce the risk and inconvenience of finding out where the wasps are by treading/strimming them


Think about it

[diggernotdreamer]

Do your pet wasps eat the stripey ones, I have also studied the habits of wasps and whilst they eat the green ones, they hate the stripey ones, no-one eats them, not the chickens or ducks, they have to be squished first. They also eat the larvae of flies, if there were no wasps we would be over run with flies. I was stung by wasps, German they was, big buggers with heat seeking technology, they chased me then stung me. Clever they are, don't think they will be helpful and nest in your box (ooh er) I think they will be eyeing up your loft instead.

[doofaloofa]

Do your pet wasps eat the stripey ones, I have also studied the habits of wasps and whilst they eat the green ones, they hate the stripey ones, no-one eats them, not the chickens or ducks, they have to be squished first.

Well I havn't witnessed them do so, but I agree that nobody wants to eat the stripey one...they suck. They are also relativly easy to find and though labourious to clear , it can be done. The velvety green ones are very hard to find as they are so well camoflaged so wasp power all the way.

On a side note I have noticed the stripey ones are beong paracitised by something and this has realy shoock the population. Have you squashed one to find it full of tiny maggots, or found one ready to pupate surrounded by tiny yellow silik cocoons?

I was stung by wasps, German they was, big buggers with heat seeking technology, they chased me then stung me.

Don't mention the war dude!

Clever they are, don't think they will be helpful and nest in your box (ooh er) I think they will be eyeing up your loft instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfUYuIVbFg0