Re: Paper wasps

Lon J. Rombough (lonrom@hevanet.com)
Tue, 30 Jun 1998 21:07:45 -0700

Wasps don't swarm when their numbers get large. They send out young
queens in the fall that hibernate over winter and start new colonies
in the spring. Most of the time, the old colony dies in the winter,
but overwinter survival is possible in some climates. Temperment
varies with species. I have wasps in my greenhouse that I get along
with fine as long as I dont' directly threaten the nest. They mostly
build a large hanging comb, not a full-size "football" as some do.
They keep the greenhouse clean of aphids and other insects.
-Lon Rombough

Note to Keith Johnson: Could you please forward this to other groups
the earlier letters in the thread went to? I only got it through
SANET.

Keith Johnson wrote:
>
> gardenbetty@earthlink.net wrote:
>
> > Do paper wasps serve any beneficial purpose on the land or do they pose a
> > potential danger?
>
> Wasps are welcome in my garden. They're nearly omniverous. They eat cabbageworms
> and many other pests in the garden. I generally don't let them build nests in
> doorways or places where there's a lot of human movement. They're dangerous when
> you annoy them. I remove the nests with a long stick when they're small usually in
> the early morning when the wasps are torpid.
>
> > Could they swarm if their numbers grow too big?
>
> Good question. I'll wait for an answer on that.
>
> > If I would be wise to remove it, perhaps an obnoxious, constant vibration on
> > the inside of the glass against their nest would do it?
>
> Might work, but I doubt it.
>
> > Any other non-chemical
> > options? Do I need a bee suit? :)
>
> With numbers as large as you are intimating, I would proceed with caution.Keith
>
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