There was a letter in the Daily Telegraph today from someone in Hertfordshire enquiring about the scarcity of wasps this year.
Strangely enough I am just a little further north in Northamptonshire and we have hardly seen any either.
Famous last words. After saying we haven't many this year, I arrive home today to find theat wasps have built nest inside the brick over my front door. Preparations for a night assault are under way.
Snap! Having gone out with puppy for last pee, when the security light came on there was a really loud crack as obviously one had flown at full pelt into the glass. Ducked and carried on, reached for the torch in my pocket and felt a sting, more like a nettle, as obviously the stunned wasp had landed on my clothing unseen in the dark. Then yesterday I noticed they have a nest up in the top corner of the dormer window at almost the highest point. No way to get to them, but they are not in the large attic space and there's just a water tank (and nest?) in the peak attic which is almost impossible to get into.... Not prepared to tackle that myself, may be a wasp exterminator job!
:biggrin::biggrin:Thank goodness that nest was not in my house. I can just imagine me standing in the smouldering ruins of my house saying "Well I got rid of the wasps". :biggrin::biggrin:
Packham's a top bloke. Knows his stuff. And we need Mice and Bees..... http://bumblebeeconservation.org/news/anthonys-blog/making-bumblebee-nest-spaces
Owen, might try http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/111069480931?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0 and see what happens. Think they're more effective to deter nest building in the first place, not sure what happens if one placed near an existing nest, if the y move out, I'll be happy. They are really much larger than the usual wasp, so I think they may be hornets- which might go and attack a wasp nest, real or fake. Might be revealing to watch
Just went to lift the lid on the Guinea Pig hutch to get them out & put them in their run on the lawn when 'Ouch!' got stung on right hand by a Wasp.
Just encountered my first asbo deserving one, drunk as a lord and mad as hell under the apple tree. Perhaps he hated drinking alone!
Had two sightings in my garden in Hackney. Might have been the same one doing a repeat visit. Surprisingly well behaved. Fortunately enough her indoors had already collected the plums to turn them into jam. All the best Andreas
Once did a reenactment where we left some sugar cones outside. Thick with more wasps than I've ever seen. Chuck a pebble and it expanded like a cartoon to a 10' cloud with a noise like a chainsaw. Marvellous! Anyway. The point: Old bloke on site showed us what wasps like. Mug of white wine and honey. Place as far away from where you want to party as possible. It's wasp crack. Can't help themselves. Next day the mug a mound of drowned and partied-out wasps, but none seen in the human zone despite cans of coke etc. Really works.
Pretty much everything gets one chance in Fortnum Towers. Any bugs, spiders or buzzy things that find their way inside are tolerated provided that they attempt to co-exist. The moment that they begin to harry me, however, it's death (if they sting or bite) or eviction (if I can get a glass over them).
A mate once quite impressively chopped a flying wasp in half with his knife as he tried to cook. Trouble is, the stinging part, still stinging, fell down another mate's cleavage. Laugh? Nearly choked.
