Queen wasps

[The Poot in Somerset]

Today I killed eight queen wasps and missed several more. Yesterday I killed four and two currently in traps.
I'm thinking the wasp problem of last Autumn (there were loads of them) that continued into the Winter, coupled with a mild Winter is leading to a problem this Summer.
Are any of you seeing the same or am I just unlucky?

 

[Codford]

We definitely seem to have more this year - keep catching themselves in the AH monitoring traps (West Wilts).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

seen quite a few in the garden the last few days - I left them alone, live and let live.

 

[Beefriendly]

I left them alone, live and let live.

Prefer the Bond version.....
Live and let die.

 

[Harley1]

It's the same here. Every year I see lots of them, but the last few days there have been four or five a day. Far less hiding under the edge of hive roofs this last winter but more indoors. I only squash them if they refuse to leave the house when offered an open window.

 

[Hachi]

Whacked quite a few in this parish too.

 

[oliver90owner]

It is early,yet. If it comes really cold or wet, most of these queens may not found a nest or they have to start again much later. Likely they have all come out of hibernation in a short period, due to the really warm spell.

So, no, not necessarily. Wait and see. Either it will or will not.

 

[Millet]

I do not see the point of needlessly killing Queen wasps..if they set up home near my hives then they have got too go but other than that I just leave well alone.

 

[MartinL]

seen quite a few in the garden the last few days - I left them alone, live and let live.

Watch them around your garden & even their nest once it's operational.

I do not see the point of needlessly killing Queen wasps
I just leave well alone.

That's equilibrium.

It is early,yet. .

I may be wrong but;

Surely native wasps don't predate honey bees?

At this time of year, (and up until the end of July) they are beneficial to the garden, eating greenfly e.t.c.

In my experience, it's is only after their Queen stops laying that they turn to sugar and start to raid hives for honey. That's when I put traps out & batten down the hatches.

 

[Helen]

I opened up one of my hives a couple of days ago, and a very large wasp, (a queen?) flew into the frames and looked like it was feeding from a stores area of the comb. Quite brazen.

 

[Murox]

I was amazed to see one buzzing around my garden yesterday afternoon. Normally where I am its rare to see any, let alone this early but the weather patterns this year have been unusual.

 

[Antipodes]

Heaps this autumn in the upper Derwent Valley. It's been such a dry and warm year so I assume that has helped their numbers. A really bad wasp year.

 

[enrico]

I do not see the point of needlessly killing Queen wasps..if they set up home near my hives then they have got too go but other than that I just leave well alone.

Until you accidentally strim one......

 

[madasafish]

seen quite a few in the garden the last few days - I left them alone, live and let live.

They nest in our eaves.. I'm not going to go up a 10 meter ladder to get them..(inaccessible from the loft as the crawl space at the edges is far too small for me.

And in holes in trees- several woods nearby.
And other people's eaves.
etc.

Micturating into the wind.

 

[Karol]

Not just lots of wasps. Lots of insects too. Great to see butterflies returning. Orange tips and meadow blues. Fantastic to see. For my part I link it to the decline in neonic use.

 

[Beefriendly]

Not just lots of wasps. Lots of insects too.

Just as well as according to you, each wasps nest takes 5 tons of insects to feed itself each year.

 

[SteveG]

4 hornets today in compost heap...busy times for all...

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Released a native hornet from a AH trap today - a magnificent beastie.
She dried off in the sunshine and flew off to brag about her swimming prowess...

 

[Monkey]

I've been away for the weekend, and when I got home last night, there were lots of very large wasps eating my patio furniture. They were much larger than normal wasps, but not as large as hornets. Would these be queens?

They are making the patio unusable with their presence.

 

[Millet]

I've been away for the weekend, and when I got home last night, there were lots of very large wasps eating my patio furniture. They were much larger than normal wasps, but not as large as hornets. Would these be queens?

They are making the patio unusable with their presence.

Probably all Queens starting to build there paper nests so they can get laying.