old'un Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Wasps Usually at this time of year they are around the bins, coming into the house looking for food and attacking the last few bits of fruit in the garden, but this year I have seen none. Just wondered if anyone else as noticed a decline in wasps in the last few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samboy Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Aint seen any round here yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Wasps Usually at this time of year they are around the bins, coming into the house looking for food and attacking the last few bits of fruit in the garden, but this year I have seen none. Just wondered if anyone else as noticed a decline in wasps in the last few years. Funnily enough I saw/disturbed a lot of overwintering queens last winter/this spring, but I have not seen many wasps about this summer and there are not many about now....when as you say, usually there are lots about at this time of year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliver90owner Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Some years there are more. Some less. I put it down to the spring weather. If the queen's first nest gets drowned, she may get started again but will be that much later developing, so smaller at the time of queen cell production. It may 'knock on' into the next year. This usually only affects ground nesting wasps, not the ones in uour roof space! Something is chewing apples to a shell, so they are about. Not seen any troubling the bees this year - yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 We have a lot of fruit in our garden and the absence of wasps has been very evident. Most years we have had to get a nest removed from the loft, or the garage. We also usually get only one or two bumble bee nests down mouse holes, but this year we have found five. Also more butterflies than usual. There never seems a logical reason for these population trends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbob Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Theres been a good few going into the ferret hutch getting a free fed on the carcasses ive jars with jam in them scattered about but caught none and it really pees me off that somebody could have a nest in there garden and do nothing about it , then i opened the shed door and there's a small nest on the roof but after removing it , there was no sign of life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted September 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 We have a lot of fruit in our garden and the absence of wasps has been very evident. Most years we have had to get a nest removed from the loft, or the garage. We also usually get only one or two bumble bee nests down mouse holes, but this year we have found five. Also more butterflies than usual. There never seems a logical reason for these population trends. Just wondering if Badgers are part of their decline as we do have a large population of Badgers in the area and on my walks over the last couple of years I have found lots of wasp nests dugout by Badgers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpigeon3 Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 We have a lot of fruit in our garden and the absence of wasps has been very evident. Most years we have had to get a nest removed from the loft, or the garage. We also usually get only one or two bumble bee nests down mouse holes, but this year we have found five. Also more butterflies than usual. There never seems a logical reason for these population trends. Brexit 😮 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 We had a pest controller around a few days ago to deal with a rat problem. He said that normally wasps are their biggest reasons for calls at this time of year. However, this year they have had very few. Also I have noticed less 'bugs' around in general and probably,!coincidently, less bats also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 I had a lot of queen wasps 'emerging' in the spring - and expected a bad wasp season. However I have to agree there are less than usual. I have also seen (far) less butterflies than usual unfortunately, but have seen more humming bird moths than ever before. There were also a lot of solitary bees (miner bees) in the spring. In addition, it is my impression that the leaves seem to be dropping early this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Just wondering if Badgers are part of their decline as we do have a large population of Badgers in the area and on my walks over the last couple of years I have found lots of wasp nests dugout by Badgers. We have Badgers flying now do we Dont want to be around when they unload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer425 Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Less about last few years, we used to get wasps with the fruit trees lost very little fruit this past few years not seen very many at all this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Badgers and the absence of wasps could be linked in my area, I think we have more badgers per mile than foxes. They are always trying to dig into our garden after the fallen fruit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-dot Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Bees give us honey Wasps give us Marmite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfireboy Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted September 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 I had a lot of queen wasps 'emerging' in the spring - and expected a bad wasp season. However I have to agree there are less than usual. I have also seen (far) less butterflies than usual unfortunately, but have seen more humming bird moths than ever before. There were also a lot of solitary bees (miner bees) in the spring. In addition, it is my impression that the leaves seem to be dropping early this year. Yep, as you say its early, trees here are shedding leaves like confetti, old boy I know said its going to-be a hard winter, we will see. Bees give us honey Wasps give us Marmite? Wasps are a gardeners friend, they kill thousand of bugs during the summer but are a bloody pest come autumn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted September 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 We have Badgers flying now do we Dont want to be around when they unload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-dot Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 I see signs on lamp posts around here "WASPS DESTROYED £35" Is that each? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 I see signs on lamp posts around here "WASPS DESTROYED £35" Is that each? Only if Ryan Air are involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Cash for destroying Wasp nests can be a very lucrative summer/autumn income stream for pest controllers....and it's money for old rope! lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Got 6 wasp traps from "Home Bargains" @ £1 for 2 and have been killing around 200/day till about a week ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 I heard that it was the heavy rain that drowned all the nests / queens out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Me matt Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 I heard that it was the heavy rain that drowned all the nests / queens out. I heard this also, successively warmer wetter winters are- as you say - flooding nests. I use to get stung quite a bit in my line of work, didn't get stung at all last year and only once this year, noticeably less wasps around fallen fruit too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 not seen any here yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfireboy Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.