I saw something nasty in the woodshed

[RosieMc]

I saw something nasty in the woodshed
Nasty it were.
Wee, sleekit cow'rin tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in my breastie!

Nasty wee venomous creature
looking for a place to spawn her odious offspring
Big and fat and bursting with eager anticipation to spread its descendants
that would terrorise me and my girls

yes, I saw 21 of those nasty critters in the woodshed
but they didn't see me!

One by one
day after day, I slain those nasties

But what if I missed one? or two? or three?
So again day after day I search my homestead
Fly swat in hand, ready to pounce to protect me and mine
and I look for anything nasty in the woodshed
and make sure it doesn't see me first

yes, you guessed it - Queen wasps

Am I naughty?

 

[Finman]

.
Holy ship!

 

[The Drone Ranger]

At the start of the year wasps eat caterpillars and other pests.
When they feed their larva the larva give up a drop of sweet liquid.
The foragers are programmed to this reward so when later in the year there is no brood they look elsewhere for a sweet treat.
So your cabbages will pay the price

 

[madasafish]

I suspect I have a (semi) Buddhist's attitude to taking life (although I am not one). I just don't believe it's right unless absolutely needed.

I certainly strongly disagree with killing queen wasps. It's pointless. Unless you kill every one for miles around, you can have no noticeable effect on the number of wasps annoying your hives in Autumn.

 

[enrico]

I suspect I have a (semi) Buddhist's attitude to taking life (although I am not one). I just don't believe it's right unless absolutely needed.

I certainly strongly disagree with killing queen wasps. It's pointless. Unless you kill every one for miles around, you can have no noticeable effect on the number of wasps annoying your hives in Autumn.

You think?
Maybe you are right but it makes me feel a whole lot better. It works the other way too, if it isn't going to make any difference to numbers then I have nothing to lose by squishing a few!
E

 

[Bee Bumble]

'I saw something nasty in the woodshed'

Ha ha - one of my favorite humorous books.

 

[Dishmop]

'I saw something nasty in the woodshed'

Ha ha - one of my favorite humorous books.

I remember a film about a mad wife locked in a shed.......is that the one..????

 

[dn170221]

For some reason reminded me of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFjfa_RB6Pc

 

[bontbee]

'I saw something nasty in the woodshed'

Ha ha - one of my favorite humorous books.

when does sukebind flower?

 

[Karol]

You think?
Maybe you are right but it makes me feel a whole lot better. <snip>

I'm glad it makes you feel better Enrico.

44,000 beekeepers in the UK each squish 12 wasp queens.

That's 528,000 wasp nests that never come to fruition.

Each wasp nest eradicates between 4 to 5 metric tonnes of insect pests in its life.

That's over 2,ooo,ooo metric tonnes worth of insect pests.

How much pesticide is needed to control that number of insect pests I wonder?

And of course those pesticides have no impact on bees or humans or other wild life.

I'm glad you feel good Enrico.

 

[enrico]

You always make me feel guilty Karol, but then I feel guilty shooting rabbits too.
E

 

[BeeJayBee]

At least you can eat a rabbit.

 

[Karol]

You always make me feel guilty Karol, but then I feel guilty shooting rabbits too.
E

It's not that I want you to feel guilty. It's just a shame that we don't work with nature as much as we should and beekeepers are supposed to be closer to nature than most. The use of pesticides needs to be much more judicious if we are to have a sustainable future. It's not just that pesticides have an impact on biodiversity. I also believe they are more likely to cause climate change than elevated CO2 emissions. So utilising nature's own forms of pest control including wasps just seems smarter.

 

[enrico]

The trouble is I feel even guiltiest when my hives are being ravaged by wasps, fighting for their stores and lives. The birds and bats in my garden can deal with the insects, they don't harass my bees like wasps do! No answer really, but........

 

[beecology]

It's not that I want you to feel guilty. It's just a shame that we don't work with nature as much as we should and beekeepers are supposed to be closer to nature than most. The use of pesticides needs to be much more judicious if we are to have a sustainable future. It's not just that pesticides have an impact on biodiversity. I also believe they are more likely to cause climate change than elevated CO2 emissions. So utilising nature's own forms of pest control including wasps just seems smarter.

This is not a dig at you Enrico, but Karol has hit the nail on the head here. I have been surprised by a number of forum posts that show a total lack of respect to wildlife - from a group (beeks) that I assumed would be the absolute opposite in their opinions.

At times it's been more like a gun club than a beek forum - backwards attitudes that have no scientific basis, just an archaic prejudice, shoot this, shoot that, kill this, kill that, that animal is evil, etc etc.

I must say, I am fond of all our hymenopteran's, fascinated by the variety of wonderful behaviours and forms displayed in this group and the roles they ALL play in our ecosystems.

 

[RosieMc]

I remember a film about a mad wife locked in a shed.......is that the one..????

Are thinking of 'Misery' by Stephen King?

French and Saunders did a parody

 

[VEG]

and whats wrong with gun clubs?

 

[beecology]

and whats wrong with gun clubs?

??

 

[Gilberdyke John]

This is not a dig at you Enrico, but Karol has hit the nail on the head here. I have been surprised by a number of forum posts that show a total lack of respect to wildlife - from a group (beeks) that I assumed would be the absolute opposite in their opinions.

At times it's been more like a gun club than a beek forum - backwards attitudes that have no scientific basis, just an archaic prejudice, shoot this, shoot that, kill this, kill that, that animal is evil, etc etc.

I must say, I am fond of all our hymenopteran's, fascinated by the variety of wonderful behaviours and forms displayed in this group and the roles they ALL play in our ecosystems.

Don't assume

 

[enrico]

Don't assume

I agree, how can you criticise what some people do without knowing the full circumstances of why they do it. I have two shotguns and an air rifle, both of which I use when necessary. Does that make me a bad person.
E