On the awning over our garage, there are two small Paper Wasps nests. One looks abandoned, and the other has maybe a dozen wasps. I just noticed it the other day. Thus far they have been completely docile. I see them fly back and forth, but even when we where cleaning the garage they never got agitated. My wife and I aren't allergic, but I'm still a little worried. But I don't want to kill some bugs that could potential be killing much worse and bothersome bugs.
I would.
Yes. Kill them. With. FIRE!
....or wasp spray. Don't worry -- there are more :-)
Wasps are predators, and as such are very important to controlling the pests they prey upon. Casual killing of predators is a no-no, because they reproduce at a much slower rate than their prey, so removing the predators by, say, eradicating an entire nest, usually causes a boom in the prey populations because it creates an imbalance.
These are considered beneficial insects. That's the kind you want. Let them do their thing.
Margie
Wasps are fine until next month. Then it gets cool, and they become nasty. That's why I will not let them have a nest where people are. Out back in the field and other areas I don't regularly go is fine. But not around the house and entry ways.
If they bother you while you're having company or something, put a piece of bologna away from the area. They're carnivores.
Serious.
I murder them with extreme prejudice but in doing so... I must take on the responsibility of also murdering their prey. Its not an easy life I lead - but I'm up to the task.
Marjorie Suddard wrote: Wasps are predators, and as such are very important to controlling the pests they prey upon. Casual killing of predators is a no-no, because they reproduce at a much slower rate than their prey, so removing the predators by, say, eradicating an entire nest, usually causes a boom in the prey populations because it creates an imbalance. These are considered beneficial insects. That's the kind you want. Let them do their thing. Margie
Are you predator or prey?
The last nest I found was behind the bumper cover of a car I was working on. I wondered what that noise was.
May they rest in peace.
I'd leave them alone if they don't both you - as Margie mentioned, they'll probably take care of other undesirable insects around you.
I tend to start doing something about them if they try to carry away my blueberry or plum pie...
I've had the same experience with the paper wasps. Totally non-aggresive and want nothing to do with me...and I'm severely allergic, so typically, they ALL berkeley with me. Bald-faced hornets, yellowjackets, and these ginormous red and yellow wasps we get around here, on the other hand, die in the berkeleying firestorm if they get anywhere inside the perimeter. Hate all you want, call PETA, tell me all the wonderful benefits of those berkeleyers, it's me or them, and it ain't gonna be me.
Ifthey are not hurting you or yours, leave them be.
Balogna works, also bacon fat (but they also draw other stuff, so use caution)
Another vote for leave 'em be.
Now, if they get aggressive towards you and yours at all, by all means drench the bastards in wasp spray.
But if they're causing no harm, then I see no point in messing with them.
I believe wasps hunt and kill yellow jackets. You might want to look into that. I have never been bothered by a wasp, I definitely cannot say the same thing for yellow jackets.
My sister keeps here wasps nice and happy. She used to have a lot of yellow jackets, not anymore.
I only allow things bigger than house cats and smaller than Andre the giant to be within the parimeter of my eves trough. All else are violently killed. My yard is a different matter.
Leave 'em, but on an automotive note: carb cleaner is will take out almost anything insect on contact.
I would like to learn more about the prey (other than humans) that these wasp "predators" kill. I know mud dauber wasps and other solitary wasps will parasitize spiders and such, but I don't know much about paper wasps other than I see them all the time and they are fairly docile compared to other wasps (yellow jackets & hornets). What do they eat? I always see them chewing on my kids playset and other exposed, weathered wood, presumably to make paper for their nests.
Marjorie Suddard wrote: Wasps are predators, and as such are very important to controlling the pests they prey upon. Casual killing of predators is a no-no, because they reproduce at a much slower rate than their prey, so removing the predators by, say, eradicating an entire nest, usually causes a boom in the prey populations because it creates an imbalance. These are considered beneficial insects. That's the kind you want. Let them do their thing. Margie
So are fire ants.
I typically leave wasp be if they don't build a nest near where I habitate. Almost every time I've been stung it was by wasp from a nest I did not see.
There is no shortage of wasp, unlike honeybees, (which are our real friends).
Another person with big time allergies to them, wasps/bees are killed immediately.
I tend to "evict" wasps & their near kin from places that I plan to send much time.
I do, however, relocate snakes. In my area people tend to kill snakes on sight so their populations suffer.
If it makes you feel bad to kill them, just swat the nest down with a hoe or shovel...& run. they'll build a new one. With some luck it'll be somewhere else.
If your a scared little girl, kill em. If your not scared of a little bug, leave them be.
Joey
Anything with stingers or teeth gets "relocated" from my house. Usually to the afterlife. The cats take care of the bigger things, and I take care of the rest.
I once delivered pizzas to a house that had four of these nests "clustered" around the front door overhang. The lady who owned the house said that "removing" the nests did nothing....they always came back and "re-built".
I have one almost next to the door bell button of my house in Fl. The house has almost no exposed wood except for the door, door frame, and window frames.
The big red/black ones are very prevalent here in Memphis, and seem to have a taste for something under my cars. Now that I've changed addresses, they are no longer found "under hood".
ReverendDexter wrote: Another vote for leave 'em be. Now, if they get aggressive towards you and yours at all, by all means drench the bastards in wasp spray. But if they're causing no harm, then I see no point in messing with them.
That is what I did with a nest built behind a fake shutter next to my front door.
I let them be until they started buzzing me when I opened the door. I hosed them down from a distance with almost a full can of wasp killer. If any survived, they didn't rebuild there.
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