The ladybug, a common parasitic wasp of the spotted lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata, has a complex relationship with the green-eyed wasp Dinocampus coccinellae. This parasitoid wasp uses a specialized strategy to manipulate and utilize ladybugs for its reproductive purposes. By injecting its eggs into the body of a ladybug, the green-eyed wasp initiates a series of events, turning its host into a “bodyguard” that scares off predators.
The ladybug stands guard over its own parasite, using warning colors of red and black to deter would-be predators. Twenty days after a female lays its eggs inside a ladybug, the wasp uses a newly discovered virus to force it to stand guard over the wasps’ cocoons. Some wasps paralyze ladybugs with a virus and then put a cocoon of its larvae between the ladybug’s legs.
Zombie ladybugs keep predators away from the wasps’ vulnerable larva, increasing the likelihood of survival. The parasitic wasp Dinocampus coccinellae controls a ladybug, lays an egg in its abdomen, and turns it into the bodyguard of its cocoon. After the egg hatches, the wasp larva develops inside the ladybug, feeding on its internal juices.
Some ladybirds can survive this ordeal and live normal lives, but more likely than not, the process is unsurprisingly fatal. The green-eyed wasp Dinocampus coccinellae turns its host into a “bodyguard” for its young, keeping it alive in a semi-paralysed state that scares off predators.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Gruesome Tale: Why Wasps Live Inside Zombie Ladybugs | It turns out that the zombie ladybugs keep predators away from the wasps’ vulnerable larva, increasing the likelihood that they survive to … | livescience.com |
| TIL there are wasps that will paralyze lady bugs with a virus … | TIL there are wasps that will paralyze lady bugs with a virus and then put a cocoon of its larvae between the ladybug’s legs. | reddit.com |
| Wasp virus turns ladybugs into zombie babysitters | Parasitic wasps may use a newly discovered virus to force ladybugs to stand guard over the wasps’ cocoons. | science.org |
📹 How to promote beneficial insects in your garden. Ladybugs, Parasitic Wasps, and Green Lacewings.
Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little. Promoting beneficial insects is a lot like that. I sacrificed one of our cucumber …
What Do Wasps Hate To Be Around?
Wasps possess a keen sense of smell and are notably repelled by specific scents from various plants and natural substances. They dislike peppermint, spearmint, basil, eucalyptus, cloves, geranium, thyme, citronella, bay leaves, and lemongrass. Other effective repellents include vinegar, cinnamon, coffee grounds, and sliced cucumber. To keep wasps at bay, you can utilize their sensitivity to these scents.
Peppermint oil and clove are particularly potent; for instance, crushed cloves can be placed on outdoor dining tables to deter them. Citrus fruits, like lemons and oranges, can also help keep these pests away.
Various essential oils, particularly peppermint and citronella, can create a barrier against wasps. Natural pest control methods include using specific plants and DIY recipes to repel or kill wasps. With so many effective options available, it’s easy to find ways to enjoy the outdoors without the annoyance of these insects.
For example, planting mint around your home or using lavender can also be beneficial as lavender attracts bees while repelling yellow jackets and wasps. Overall, by strategically using natural scents like mint, citrus, cinnamon, and other repellent herbs, it's possible to create a more enjoyable outdoor environment, reducing the risk of wasp encounters and protecting your picnics and gatherings from these unwanted pests. In summary, harnessing the scents that wasps detest is a practical and natural strategy for pest control outdoors.
Do Parasitic Wasps Eat Ladybugs?
Parasitic wasps, particularly the species Dinocampus coccinellae, are infamous for preying on ladybugs. They lay their eggs on or near the ladybugs, and the hatching larvae use the ladybugs as living hosts for nourishment. Surprisingly, the ladybug survives this ordeal, becoming paralyzed, and twitches its carapace to deter predators until the adult wasp emerges a week later. This adaptative behavior protects the wasp's developing larvae from avian predators, as ladybugs are often targeted by birds.
The wasp's female injects a virus into the ladybug, effectively "brainwashing" it into a protective stance. This manipulation leads the ladybug to take on the role of a "bodyguard," guarding the wasp's eggs while in a semi-paralyzed state. The study highlights the intriguing life cycle and parasitic relationships within nature, emphasizing the lengths parasitic species will go to ensure the survival of their young.
Although ladybugs are beneficial insects, they face threats not only from larger predators but also from microscopic parasitic creatures like mites, which can infest them in large numbers. The role reversal of the ladybug, turning into a protector for its predator, underscores the complex interactions and often grim realities of ecological relationships.
What Bugs Do Ladybugs Keep Away?
Ladybugs, also known as ladybirds or lady beetles, are beneficial insects belonging to the Coccinellidae family. An adult ladybug and its larvae can effectively eliminate various pests, including aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, mites, and more, consuming up to 5, 000 aphids throughout their lives. In addition to destroying harmful insects, ladybugs also eat pollen and nectar. With around 5, 000 species of ladybugs worldwide, including 500 in North America, their role in natural pest control is well acknowledged.
However, an influx of ladybugs can become overwhelming. To manage their presence, homemade solutions such as dish soap sprays can be used to eliminate them. For those seeking to keep ladybugs at bay, certain plants like mums, cloves, and bay laurel deter them effectively. Essential oils, particularly citrus scents like lemon, also repel ladybugs when mixed with water and sprayed around entryways.
Military with their ability to fly, ladybugs will vacate areas where they feel threatened or where the food source is depleted. They are attracted to gardens and crops infested with pests such as aphids, making them invaluable for farmers seeking healthy crops without chemical pesticides. While their pest control capabilities are highly beneficial, homeowners may resort to methods such as vacuuming or sealing entry points to reduce ladybug invasions. Overall, ladybugs are recognized as essential allies in maintaining healthy gardens and agricultural practices, helping to control pests naturally and sustainably.
How Do You Encourage Parasitic Wasps?
To attract parasitic wasps to your garden, plant various herbs and flowers that offer the nectar and pollen they require, such as Queen Anne’s lace, dill, cilantro, and fennel. These beneficial insects are highly effective in controlling aphids and play a crucial role in combating other pests. Ensure a continuous supply of flowering plants to provide essential nourishment for adult wasps. Preferred blooms include alyssum, cilantro, and composite flowers like daisies and asters.
Additionally, maintain adequate moisture by placing shallow birdbaths or water pans around the garden. If available, utilize stones in ponds or pools to create resting spots for wasps. By creating a diverse and chemical-free garden with native plants that bloom throughout the year, especially in warmer months, you can encourage the presence of these beneficial insects. Moreover, incorporating nitrogen-fixing plants like peas and beans can enhance soil quality while further attracting parasitic wasps, ultimately leading to improved crop protection against pest caterpillars and other harmful insects.
What Are Parasitic Wasps Attracted To?
Parasitic wasps are tiny insects that are beneficial to organic gardens, as they prey on pests like aphids and caterpillars. To attract these wasps, plant various herbs and flowers that provide essential nectar and pollen, such as Queen Anne's lace, dill, cilantro, fennel, marigolds, cowpeas, and white clover. These plants release compounds like hexenol that draw in parasitic wasps, enabling them to defend the garden against insect pests. Additionally, solitary in nature, these wasps do not form hives or serve a queen.
Instead, they individually locate food sources, primarily feeding on flower nectar. Other effective plants for attraction include purple tansy and buckwheat, which have also been noted for their benefits in regions like Maryland. The diverse plant life encourages a healthy ecosystem by attracting these beneficial insects.
Are Wasps Attracted To Ladybugs?
Ladybugs face numerous natural predators, including birds, spiders, and various wasp species. Attracting these predators to your property can help regulate ladybug populations naturally. Wasps, in particular, are attracted to areas that offer safe nesting sites such as cavities, cracks, and crevices in buildings or trees, especially dead ones that are easy to burrow into. These wasps are generally carnivorous and may prey on ladybugs when encountered. However, ladybugs possess a defense mechanism known as reflex bleeding, which can deter some predators.
Several factors attract wasps to homes and gardens. Warm nesting sites, availability of insects, leftover meat, sweet foods, flowers, and water sources like dripping outdoor faucets and pet water bowls are primary attractants. Additionally, certain herbs such as cilantro, lemon balm, dill, and parsley produce flowers that lure beneficial insects, including wasps, lady beetles, and honeybees. Wasps are also drawn to strong scents, standing water, and bright-colored clothing.
Insect-eating predators like dragonflies, assassin bugs, parasitic wasps, and ants also prey on ladybugs. Other natural threats include tree frogs, anoles, parasites, fungi, and mites. Some wasps can paralyze ladybugs with a virus and use them as hosts for their larvae, showcasing the complex interactions within the ecosystem.
Balancing the insect population in outdoor spaces is crucial for maintaining garden health, as both wasps and ladybugs contribute to controlling pest numbers. Planting herbs and flowers that attract beneficial insects can support this balance, making your garden a thriving environment for both predators and prey.
What Smell Do Ladybugs Hate?
To deter ladybugs, use citronella candles and citrus oils, as these insects dislike their scent. Place citronella or citrus-scented candles near your home's entrances when doors are open. Ladybugs, also known as ladybirds or lady beetles, belong to the Coccinellidae family and comprise around 5, 000 species worldwide, with about 500 in North America. When scared, ladybugs release a yellowish liquid that has a foul odor, serving to repel predators; however, the smell dissipates over time.
Ladybugs communicate primarily through pheromones and are sensitive to various scents. They are repelled by citronella, citrus, eucalyptus, lavender, mint, and garlic. Spraying ladybugs with vinegar can kill them and mask pheromone scents, preventing other ladybugs from being attracted. Notably, scents that ladybugs hate include citrus, vinegar, and peppermint. Alternatively, lemon is highlighted as an effective deterrent, particularly for avoiding them in hair or on skin.
Certain smells can attract or repel insects. Prior to outdoor activities, be cautious of bug-attracting scents. The odor of pyrazine, released when ladybugs are crushed, can spoil wine, a phenomenon known as ladybug taint. Other scents that ladybugs dislike include camphor, menthol, and clove. Essential oils mixed with water can be used as a spray in areas where ladybugs frequent. Common scents that repel them include citronella, lavender, lemon, and cloves.
To mitigate ladybug presence, it's advised to focus on areas where they enter the home from gardens. Employing a mixture of vinegar, lemongrass, cloves, and peppermint essential oils can be effective. Citrus peels can also serve as natural repellents, further reducing ladybug gatherings within your living space.
What Flowers Attract Parasitic Wasps?
We hypothesize that French marigold flowers could benefit parasitic wasps from the Scelionidae family. Previous findings indicate that purple tansy and buckwheat flowers attract beneficial wasps, particularly in Maryland, where purple tansy is known to specifically target Scelionid wasps. While honeybees and butterflies often receive praise for their pollination, parasitic wasps are among the most effective pollinators.
To attract these wasps to your garden, consider planting flowers that bloom year-round, along with native and general plants that support beneficial insects like hoverflies and predatory wasps, which help manage aphids and other pests.
Plants such as Queen Anne's lace, dill, cilantro, and fennel are excellent choices, as they provide essential nectar and pollen. Similarly, yarrow plants serve as overwintering sites for these wasps. Varieties like fennel, calendula, and caraway can also support their populations. Additional effective plants include cosmos, lobelia, and alyssum, which are designed to sustain parasitic wasps. You may also explore purchasing parasitic wasps to enhance your garden's ecological balance.
📹 WASPS! Natures MOST UNDERRATED INSECT…
Wasps are useful allies! They have helped transform my orchard from tent caterpillar infested to where I’m now glad to see …
Wasp from the Subfamily Pemphredoninae commonly called aphid wasps can be attracted to the garden by providing them with wooden nesting blocks with 2mm to 4mm diameter holes drilled in them. Drill the holes as deep as possible without going all the way through shallow holes may get used but deeper is better. They nest in a similar fashion as mason and leafcutter bees sectioning off and stocking their tiny holes with several aphids per chamber for their larvae to eat.
Not really a farming story but when I was living in my old home, I had a wasp nest under my balcony. I gave them food and some water from time to time. They never attacked me. Most they did was land on me while I was giving them food. They were freaking cute. I had problems with spiders. After a few days of feeding them, they attacked all the spiders that tried to get onto the balcony or my home. Felt like I had some guard dogs that wanted to protect me. I love wasps.
We had drought last year. I provided bees. wasps and butterflies (as well as birds) with water. Because I used shallow dishes for the pollinators, they dried out fast. The wasps and bees would approach me every time the waterers were empty and “bug” me until I filled the waterers. We developed a relationship. They learned I was their friend. Not stung once even though the wasps would land on me at times. Fabulous pollinators and great for gardens and crops. Don’t kill wasps. Been stung many years ago only when I went to start a swather that unbenownst to me contained a wasp nest. We can live in harmony with them. Hard though to convince others to value them. Thanks for your knowledge and sharing it with the world.
That was amazing about the HORNETS at the beginning of the article. I have alot of WHITE FACE HORNETS, where I live, sure will come in handy. Happy to have another reason not to kill the many wasps I have around, I’m just a live and let live kind of guy. I’ve seen the same thing with the tent caterpillars here, didn’t know it was the wasps helping out! 👍👍👍
GREAT INFO STEFAN!!! You are PROVING that there is a PURPOSE for EVERYTHING! We just have to GO WITH THE FLO, after observing the natural ‘patterns’ of nature! God Bless you and yours! AHhhh, the simple life as God intended! Nature ‘shows/teaches’ us the BALANCE of life…when we are determined to do things ‘our way’ and FIGHT nature…it is soOOoo much more work. We actually look rather stupid fighting nature and thinking WE KNOW BETTER! Luv this stuff!
Wasps… even before perusal your – surely wonderful – article, I want to share this experience. I had to live for some years in a really nasty village, and finally could move back to where I wanted to be. Before leaving the nasty place, I painted the house I would leave and accidentally painted a wasp. Only slightly, and I was very concerned that this would end her life. I cleaned as much as I could, as gentle as possible. She flew away, and… well I moved out. Around a month later, I was reorganizing the small terrace (8 sqm) with trees and plants in my new home. A sunny day, nice and warm… and all of a sudden a wasp landed directly in front of me on a branch and would stare at me. Well, you guessed it, it was the painted wasp. We looked at each other for more than an hour, then she took off. This would repeat for several months. Well, you could say that the wasp – somehow – moved with me in the van. That she hid in one of the trees and came with me during the transport. And yes, this is a possibility. I personally feel, that she followed me. Her daily visits and our silent conversations for months… ok, that is just my personal experience. Kindest regards, M. (And now… will watch your article!!!) (Oh, I forgot. The distance between the nasty village and my new home is around 120 miles)
I’ve never had a bad experience with wasps. I noticed them patrolling my veggie garden and caterpillars used to destroy my crops. Now there’s a few holes in a few leaves. I’ve been able to scoop up wasps on a spoon and escort them from my house, they just rode the spoon out. Very docile, which is a huge contrast with what I’ve always been told. Four years in this house, we’ve had two bee stings. Only one wasp sting and my husband stepped on it on accident.
I love wasps too! Last time I got stung, she was hunting around some fallen apples, and I accidentally kicked the apple she was standing on as I walked by! Ooops my bad. She was doing good work, protecting the rest of the fruit. Now I’m more careful in that area. I pick a lot of wild mushrooms, without predatory wasps there would be more flies and other things that like to eat the same mushrooms.
Not a big fan of being near them. I do have a fear of stinging insects, but I also like their pest control. Unfortunately our state just mass sprayed the area, so I’m concerned that this will affect our population. There is a reason I don’t use insecticides, even organic ones. Any suggestions on how to attract wasps (but not too many) to be our natural pest control? We do get tent caterpillars, hornworms, and cabbage worms as our worst pests in the garden and the couple fruit trees we have.
Wasps are hard for me to love! I can respect them and they can be fascinating. One summer when I was a kid my grandmother had a huge nest on the outside of one of her windows. Lots of yellow and some black on them if I remember right. You could watch them through the window for hours as they went about their business in their nest. She wouldn’t let anyone disturb them and so far as I know nobody got stung. But when the social wasps try to get too social and move inside my house then the war is on!
3 years into gardening and one with fruit trees…leaving my grass taller, I notice a lot more wasps in the ground, and they love my woodchips. My family got to witness a parasitic wasp harassing a big hornworm on our tomatoes…I knew what she was doing, but it was a privilege to actually see it live and get the kids gathered round to see, too!
Ever since learning the difference between solitary and social wasps several years ago, we leave the solitary ones alone. I’m seriously allergic to yellow jackets (social ones that nest in the ground) and hornets so those have to go but I found putting a hormone trap up in the spring reduces their numbers by getting the queen when she emerges. And we still have plenty of solitary wasps building different types of nests all over the place.
By far my favorite insect. They are so very curious about everything in their world. The land on me and hang with me often. Because I never bother them. They will always fly right up to your face to have a look at you and then fly off. The calmer we can be around them, the more they let us around them and dont feel threatened. Just a sincerely amazing insect!! Our fear gets the better of us and then they react to that. They are no threat to anyone.
I have a colony of wasps that live under my shed roof awning. They completely leave us alone; the one time someone got stung was because they actually touched the wasp. Other neighbors have problems with really aggressive wasps. I think my peaceful little colony is keeping them out of our yard. Locusts devastated my mother-in-law’s garden last year. I saw a few in mine, but not many. Maybe they’re eating them too.
Wow! Thank you so much for another article that is teaching the value of insects and definitely educating me. I want to ask though, what about the paper wasps that build nests under porch eaves and close to doors? I have never minded nests that were not in an area that we needed to go in and out of. I never have anything sprayed, but this year, we had 6 of these nests with the wasps flying around the doors, some getting in. I hated to have someone come to address the problem. It still upsets me. We still ended up with some rebuilding in the porch light can lights, and they were not a problem. We just left them alone. They have never bothered us, and I know to welcome them. It was just the first year with them close to our living quarters. Any suggestions? I have fruit trees around my house, lots of varieties of natives and other shrubs, etc. that bring in wonderful things like a giant gorgeous yellow garden spider who resides in one of our flower beds. I would love to see a article on the spiders. Thank you again, for these wonderful programs. I left all the dandelions growing all over our property in all their glory, because of what I learned from you.
In I left some hay that I had intended to pick up. Spring came and the hay still laid there:-( The wasps were more resourceful. They built a nest under the hay. I got stung really bad. The way that I got stung was that I had finally decided to pick up the hay. I had to cross their path to feed my rabbit who was outside as well. I was able to cross successfully the rest of that summer. I tried everything to get rid of them. The only thing that worked was winter came. They are and were awesome pollinators.
Hi. Great info sir. In the beginning of the article, wasn’t that a Bald Face Hornet nest? They looked black and white like Bald Face Hornets too.. I have watched them (Bald Face Hornet) eat paper wasps on occasion as well. I’m fine with wasps, as long as they don’t make their nest under my work stool in the propagation greenhouse or sleeping in the lettuce.
I haven’t found a paper wasp nest yet on our little 8 acres. I have found the wasp nests that like to build under eaves, and in sheltered spots. They have open nests and are mostly easily seen. They do not like it when I mow next to them with the scythe, however. LOL. I got stung, but left the nest intact, since I know where they are now. Hahaha. And it is wonderful to see a hornworm with 30 to 50 little white pupa cases on its back. Now if I could get parasitic wasps to eat the Mexican bean beetles…
I have planted 3 cherries, 3 peach and 3 plum trees around my house. The trees are 15 feet away from my deck and once they grow they might come very close to the deck. Will that bring wasps too close to my family and kids? I will not be able to harvest all the fruit. So will ripe fruit also attract more and more wasps?
Stefan, at our place the most common social wasp is the Yellow Jacket Hornet. They tend to make their nests underground… I usually only discover them by accident and by then it’s too late to avoid a sting. I have been wondering…. since wasps are beneficial creatures like carpenter bees, and bats, songbirds etc… why don’t we make little boxes for them like we do with the others? That way perhaps we could control where they set up their houses. Provide them a home, and avoid nasty surprises.
I love them since I was 7. That time I didn’t hear of wasps being bad so I wasn’t afraid that much, and then I found out wasps were peaceful and cute. I can’t select between ant, wasp and bee, none of them is worse than the other two. I don’t fear wasps and hornets and feed them on hand nowadays. It’s hard to tell people wasps can be good though. Wasps often fly at your face and it looks like they are attacking. People get panicked and run away… in fact the wasp isn’t attacking, it learnt to find food around people so it follows them. I got stung 17 times, but that was when I squeezed them or disturbed the nest. Bees would sting in such situations as well.
Oh man ~ let me tell you… You, wonderful, intelligent, funny you… I find myself well informed, thoroughly entertained and better armed to go forth with improved practices after perusal your articles. All of that and a few lols with scattered giggles to boot. So thank you so very much for everything including and especially getting a different point of view that often strays away from the mainstream 😏
re “dont block the runway”: What do I do when they block mine? I have some wasps that I welcomed until they built a nest directly above my porch door. Now, every time I go outside, they give me warning fly-bys buzzing around my head angrily. What do I do? I am scared to try to take it down or spray it, as there are dozens nearby and I don’t want to get attacked. I wonder if there is a way to encourage them to nest somewhere in the yard rather than on the house.
We think that the wasps we have around our yard have come to recognize us as people who belong in our yard. We have experienced wasps at our last two houses, and for the most part they leave us alone. We have had friends come over and get attacked by them, but even then, they mostly leave us alone. We have wasps that live on our recycle bin out of the rain, and they will occasionally attack one of us when we move the bin out to the street for collection. For the most part, we get along.
One thing to remember as well about the Boldfaced hornets (the hive you got very close to) never try to get that close if in front of the hive by the entrance, they will chase you off immediately and may swarm without a warning, they tend to be very visually acute and are very protective of the hive . ( I actually was surprised by how close you were able to get to them, they are very trigger sensitive) . I do however agree with this article in total, all these wonderful creatures saved a tree here that I am partial towards from the spotted lantern flies, I now look forward to the triumphant return of my bee friends here every spring, I have loved seeing all the honey bee’s for many, many years (lawn covered in clover) I have been inviting them and they have come, and now I have all the other bee’s to come and help with the other stuff, it is the best and coolest way to live that I know, living with nature rather than against nature.
Thanks for yet a GREAT article! 🙏 I had an empty wasp nest in a shed in the garden, the door of the shed was missing. The nest hang from the ceiling of the shed 2 meters above the ground. Nothing below it. The weird thing is that the nest began to crumble, like something tore it apart. In 2-3 days the whole thing was destroyed. I still wonder what on Earth could do that?? But my question is; in a time where the butterflies are struggling to survive and their numbers are plummeting, will they suffer even more with wasps around? I know the monarch is safe, but do the wasps eat other threatened species? I love all insects – wasps included – but the important thing for me is helping the species that need help the most.
I haven’t been stung in years yet I still see plenty of wasps. There’s no reason to freak out just because there’s a wasp flying around you. They don’t sting for pleasure. Even though they tend not to have barbed stingers they prefer to avoid using their ovipositor if they can avoid it. After all a creature can still kill a wasp that tries to attack it and they don’t want to take the risk unnecessarily.
We have yellow jackets and the standard black and red wasps around my house. I have only been stung once when I was doing some cleanup around a yellow jacket nest. I am not allergic so they never really bothered me. I noticed they pollinate my fruit trees, along with flies and mosquitoes, so I don’t mess with them unless they build a nest around a spot where me and my wife frequent.
The last few years, since I’ve gotten pretty serious about spending time in the garden, I’ve really enjoyed perusal the wasps hunt caterpillars. Love seeing them creep around the broccoli. Mud daubers spend a lot of time in the flower bed with me. We’ll work on the same plant and, while I’ve offended quite a few bees in my life, I’ve never been stung by a wasp. I tell the kids, Freeze, be calm, it’ll figure out you’re not interesting, and everyone minds their own business. It’s when you freak out that they freak out, too!
I was playing basketball where the backboard had a hidden wasp nest behind it. Solitary wasp type, not those like yellow jackets. The wasp came out and stung my lip. Ouch! I had a lip like Jagger 🙂 Thanks for the wasp knowledge. I love what parasitic wasps do to my tomato hornworms. On the whole, I still prefer bees. I am more sure that I don’t interest them.
you are just sew osm. people need to RESPECT nature. I have wasp nests in the upper corner my shed where there is a little opening that they can fly out. There is quite a little colony of them up there. I have never had a caterpillar problem nor have the wasps bothered me or my family one iota. RESPECT is key. I love what you are doing. Thank you!!
I’ve noticed that wasps and bumble bees are actually much more active and productive in the garden than honey bees. Honeybees only seem really active early in the day where bumble bees and wasps will be in and out of the flowers most of the day. The only hornet/was I try to discourage are yellow jackets since the usual method of finding their nest usually involves hundred of stigs and creative methods of getting the mower away from their nest.
When I was a kid, wasps used to always get stuck between the glass panes in the windows of our house, so I could always get a good look at them without being stung from a young age. I had pretty much always been afraid of them (I was stung on the back of the neck a long time ago, likely for an understandable reason). It was when I actually started researching them that I began to respect and even love them. It all started when I had an encounter with a friendly cicada killer wasp.
I’ve been stung only 1 time by a wasp, and that was bc I sat on it. When I first moved into my current home (RV), the first spring/summer I had a few nests pop up. These were those common yellow wasps. Long drapey segmented bodies. I removed the nests in the fall and put Vicks Vaporub along the area when I saw the first scouts. Well I guess it wore off or they didn’t care bc that Spring there were a LOT more. The only one I really worried about was the one above the door, 6 inches above my head basically. They never threatened me and only 1 ever came inside. I refused to poison them and natural methods didn’t work, so I let them stay. I thought of them as my guard wasps 😁. Sadly, they showed up less and less until last year I had none at all. I kind of miss them.
A bald faced hornet wasp mama built a nest right by my door a few years ago. I had saved her from drowning at one point that spring. I was hesitant about disturbing it. I learned everything I could about wasp behavior and life cycles and decided that this particular wasp guard army was not going to bode well for all the clients I had coming and going. So I observed her behavior and successfully knocked down the nest while she was away & sprayed the area with homemade peppermint. There were 10 larvae in the nest. Mama was angry and freaking out for multiple days and then departed. It was early enough in the season that she could start a new nest somewhere hopefully safe for her. I am still proud of saving the mama. Everyone drinks and eats in my garden. I provide water for all & the wasps are wonderful & fun to watch. They wait for me to change the water. I rescue drowning flyers all the time. I wish they were more vigilant with cabbage moths, however. And this year 2022, they need to get busy with the over abundance of gypsy moth caterpillars everywhere. Love wasps, been lucky enough not to stumble on their nest. I have read painting the undersides – of places like overhangs where they like to build nests – blue will make them think it’s open sky & to move on.
I wish the caterpillar color warning color was true, but for me, that wasn’t the case. I used to leave wasps alone but experience was perusal red wasps attacking monarch caterpillars from my milk weed. That’s when I became their worst enemies. On a positive note, I did witness the wasps attacking bag worms. I love them for that but they have plenty bagworms to stay busy. Just leave my monarch caterpillars alone!! Thanks for letting me vent😊
It’s always the freakin yellowjackets, mean little things. I have a whole bunch of wasps that come around my garden that I appreciate, they don’t care about me at all, don’t bother me or anything but they make good guards for the garden itself lol. I wish we had more of a certain variety that digs into the ground and eats all the grubs mainly because I have a bunch of voles that are just jacking up my whole yard lol
i like them.. problem is they tend to want to live on the corners of my house, or buzz my head, like today when i was trying to pull out these dead emerald greens, and this wasp or hornet was up in my business saying ‘hey, be careful.. keep your distance.. stay out of my way’.. and i was like mf, this is my yard, idk who you think you are pal
Finally figured out how to find your wasps. Actually my granddaughter helped me. My biggest fear is getting stung. Allergic to bees. Muddaubers = I swell. Yellow Jackets = rash and itching. Wasps = ? And, I do not want to know what will happen. My dad had to have a shot or he would die. I think that makes me paranoid. From what you say, I need to rethink and learn more. And move more slowly and pay more attention. Thank you.
Last year I decided I would try to live with wasps in my vegetable garden because I decided I might be overreacting to killing them as since they do seem to mind their own business, one just has to be aware. Well, last year’s vegetable garden was the most pest free year ever. I also planted lots of herbs and Marigolds in the beds. I now am starting to get this whole permaculture thing, lol.
I’ve never been stung by a wasp. Only once was I stung by a bee that got caught in a draft and flew in the open window of a car and right into my hand. Considering I used to be a camp counselor and am an camper/gardener/canoed people are often shocked by that. We have a lot of yellow jackets and mud wasps on my property though. For the most part, we only get rid of them if they are in human-heavy areas (for example, they built a nest in the bottom section of the mailbox and would become aggressive when the top door was closed). I am hoping for more tanagers in my yard to eat some of them too.
I have a nest of bald face hornets (they are actually of the wasp family according to Google) that looks exactly like the one in your article… it is suspended about 2 feet from ground level from a branch next to a sidewalk I was working on… I knew they were there but forgot when I knelt down to use a diamond blade grinder… the noise and dust flying prompted about a dozen of them to circle me and realizing my mistake I stood up and retreated… I received only one sting on my arm that hurt for a couple minutes and then was fine… I wondered why I had zero spider webs under my awning this year and I probably can give them credit for this… I have a bee friendly bird bath that I’ve seen them drinking from… I don’t feel at all threatened by them and certainly hope they come back next year…
I had a bunch of wasps hanging out in the yard because of my bird baths. Well, my bird and bee baths! (I use bird and bee as terms to define all flying things like them.) I have seen them floating around in the wind on the water in them! A few times, I have seen two or three floating around holding hands (hands?) like parachute people do in the sky. I heard they attack bad bugs, and never noticed them coming after any of us, so, I have told them they are welcome here. (No, I am not sure if they understood me or not. LOL)
Wasps are fine. They tend to nest in the walls of my apartment building. I really don’t mind them, as they don’t bother me. However, come September (in Ireland) when they start to die off, they are absolutely so annoying, as they become really aggressive and all up in your face. I can’t even open the windows during this stage of the year.
Wasps are very curious creatures. And the prey on live but also dead bugs. They smell the dead skin and will buzz around you to see if there’s something to take. Most people go frantic. And will get stung. They don’t really attack unless you knock the nest down. People need to understand they might buzz curiously around you looking for food or nesting. Don’t go crazy relaxe them hands and don’t squeeze the armpits.
Wasp nests have a patrol radius, a few individuals of the nest will constantly fly around to watch for threats,and there are layers of defense, maybe 100 feet away a person will start to have a single or even two wasps fly around them unnoticed by the person, not aggressive just checking them out, as the person continues to violate the patrol space and gets within 75 feet, more wasps will begin to circle about and the person might notice and not really think about it, but the person still continues into the space,now the wasps begin to fly more aggressive buzzing past their face etc, next if that warning is ignored the wasps will begin to fly into or bump that person to get their attention,if the person ignores that warning and gets closer to the nest the wasp will now attack in force, problem is most of this happens within the space of a minute or so as a person is walking and closes the distance to the nest in a short time, and the attack to the person appears unprovoked, but to the wasp it gave ample warning to stay away,
You might like wasps but “hornets” in my experience are very aggressive. Not that I would kill them out away from house or barn but have had them start to build on actual building…. NOT.. But, I love your knowledge and info you bring to us. I’ve learned and appreciate for you. Thanks for your time and caring enough to inform us. PeaceOut
I must be super unlucky. We have a few apple trees in out backyard, they have all kinds of worms while our home has been literally invaded by wasps…the traditional yellow striped and plain black ones! It is terrible, my kids won’t go out and play and if I force them to, they come running inside screaming when a wasp swarms them. They even fall in from our ceiling of our roof peak inside occasionally. I’m so sick of wasps! How on earth do you prevent them from overpopulating and being a menace to your fruit picking customers? ..and what on earth worm is attacking our apples that wasps don’t take care of 😓.
It’s hard for me to have a love for wasps. I can be out with one other person and the wasps always attack me and no one else..even though I don’t disturb them. I guess I smell like food or something to them! Hahah….. But boy I sure do swell up even with one wasp sting! I’ve had swarms of them actually attack me! Ouch!
I had two nest in my yard. One was just fine. As they would walk across my hand while I was picking my berries. And was not aggressive. But the other one was not. So I killed that one off and left the other one alone. My good nest was in my clothes line pole. I could even run my weed around the pole and not get attacked.
But do the wasps duke it out w/ the bees ?? That’s what I need to know. I don’t want to see a wasp fighting w/ my bees, that wouldn’t be pretty. I never harmed a wasp, in fact they drink from my bird bath. But I don’t want a cat fight between the wasps & the bees that I depend on to pollinate my veggies & flowers.
QUESTION!!!!! Do they harm ladybugs???? 🥺 it’s like.. the one and only beneficial bug I have yet to catch in my garden over the last few years and it makes me sad 😔 I’ve even looked into purchasing some online to release in your garden lolol to anyone who may see this: apparently it’s just a big ol’ scam 🥲 and harmful to both the ladybugs and possibly even the environment?? 😭 I didn’t do full fledged research.. but from what I’ve gathered, it seems no good. I’m also VERY allergic to wasps and all things that sting.. but when I heard how great they are at ridding pests in the garden, I said, YEP! Welp!! Wasps are now my very best friend 🤣 there’s almost nothing worse than all the hard work and love you put into growing crops.. going right to ish.. and having every leaf look like it went through a paper shredder in the matter of DAYS thanks to some hungry caterpillars 😩 I have a nest of wasps blowing up in my garden. Possibly underground???? OR in my palm tree??? 😳 I’m not sure cause I SPRINT as soon as I see them and they chase me lmao. Out of MY own garden ahhaha I definitely can’t blame them for the lack of ladybugs tho 🐞……..because I also have several praying mantises 😍😍😍(was ecstatic to see those + newborn babies!!! i just KNOW they’re amazing predators.. i hope lolol they’re next on my list of bug research!), giant beetles, hummingbirds/finches, and many many MANY more that I can’t think of rn 🤣 And I gotta say.
My social wasp experiences fall into 3 categories: hornets (what you featured), ground wasps, and paper wasps. The former 2 tend to be much more aggressive than the latter one, and have no place in my garden nor orchard The latter, being noticeably less aggressive, is welcome. I go as far as to build shelves for them to build nests under.
I’ve been stung more times than I can count by these damn things doing construction. There’s nothing quite like grabbing BRAND NEW building materials off the truck, just to put your rigging/hand right through a nest lmao. Or worse, taking a piece of fascia trim off and finding a suddenly furious horde of wasps when you’re trapped 20+ feet up in the air! That being said, I keep a fleet of them around the house. I rarely have problems with garden pests that wasps and ladybugs can’t deal with.
I’ve never been stung. We have wasps – when we don’t have a hornet nest – and also cicada killers, periodically. Bumble bees, occasionally, honey bees and “sweat” bees – though not so much these days, since the wasps or hornets are allowed to just do whatever they want – until the neighbor knocks down the nest. I didn’t have any wasps in my shed for two or three years – until the neighbor’s construction guys knocked down a huge hornet’s nest, high up in his tree. That hornet’s nest kept the wasps out of my shed around back! But they’re back now, so…you can’t even enter the shed without walking straight through their flight line…which can be harrowing…they don’t like that. Still – never actually been stung. I’ve been CHASED – but not stung. At least, I don’t think I have….it’s possible I wouldn’t notice – I don’t know.
Definitely have a love/hate relationship with hymenoptera, if they aren’t directly in my way or invading the inside of my home persistently, I’ll leave them alone, I do have a mild phobia surrounding wasps in particular, I was actually quite pleased when, last summer, there was a large wasps nest with it’s entrance next to a walk way I MUST use to leave the building. and I left it e, I got less nervous every time I realized they were completely ignoring me, I even stood very close to the entrance and watched them coming and going and felt almost baseline, only marginally cautious, which is huge for me. I had a bad experience of waking up with a wasp in a delicate area, panicing and being stung and repeated wasps nests in the eaves of my attic bedroom making lots of noise scraping at the wood when I was young, but I find hymenoptera, including eusocial wasps (in particular due to my past feelings) fascinating creatures!
last year i was perusal a european hornet stalking some sandbees that were foraging the goldenrod one of the sandbees sat down and the hornet attacked it right in front of me i took a stick and swiped it firmly but not with intent to kill from the flower the hornet flew above my head for a few seconds and i stood my ground but did not do anthing agressive it decided not to attack and flew away a few minutes later i looked out the kitchen window and thought i saw a white butterfly moving in a very strange manner in front of the window i went outside and saw it was a wasp cutching a tip of a feather that looked like the bottom barbs had been removed it was flying around with it was it communication? i know wasps are prey for hornets also when i see a queen i dress in black and yellow and walk around the house like that haven ‘t had a nest in the house since anyhow i treat them with respect and try to communicate what i want because i think they are smart like all animals
Positive and painful eperiances. Our wasps pollinate our milkweed. I’ve been stung by yellow jackets I’ve run into. I’ve also had a pet wasp, I took in after she got kicked from the hive. But our paper wasps here, don’t make those beautiful nests like you have. Ours make much smaller comb sectioned nests, and I love them. They’re nicer and more docile than some of our bees, down here.