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Why so Many Wasps?

Started by troutrus, August 26, 2020, 19:04:18 PM

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troutrus

Anybody else been noticing more wasps around your homes? We have had more this year than I ever recall. Normally we will have a few small nests on the front porch, and peacefully coexist, with very little interaction.
The last two summers, we have been overcome with several species swarming about and resulting in several painful stings for my wife and me. Front porch had nests in every nook and cranny, forcing me to use insecticide to get rid of them, which we don't normally like to use. It's a constant battle to keep them under control.
Also the last two years, there are so many on the ripened figs in the back yard that it's not worth trying to harvest. Prior to last year, it was never a problem.
Just wondered if anyone else has seen the same, and any ideas as to the cause.



Onslow

Why is Port Arthur getting steamrolled by a hurricane?

22midge

they must have a lot of wasps also
never let a day go by without telling your children how special they are----make a child smile today and gain a friend for life

Mudwall Gatewood 3.0

Food for the adults, plenty of other critters to feed their larvae, suitable nesting sites --- all likely reasons.  Or it could be the fault of Trump, or QAnon, or climate change, or BLM, or JF Jr – who knows? 
"Enjoy every sandwich."  Warren Zevon

rbphoto

"maybe procrastination is another word for fishing..." ben
"Just butchered my first silk kitty...." Wooly Bugger  January 26, 2018, 12:41:27 PM
You can't land an otter on 7x. Now I know - Dougfish

troutrus

Quote from: rbphoto on August 27, 2020, 07:08:42 AMhttps://www.esa.org/esablog/research/the-story-of-the-fig-and-its-wasp/

Maybe?



Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
The fig wasps in the article appear to be very small and would be present earlier in the process.
The one's I'm seeing are larger and are feasting on the ripened fruit, which I don't begrudge them, but rather just curious as I hadn't seen them for the first 40 years I lived here, and the last couple years the fruit is absolutely covered with them.

rbphoto

Fig wasps are tiny and you likely never see them. 

I think it has to do with the total environmental conditions being perfect for particular species in a given habitat.  It takes a combination of temperature, moisture, nutrition, predators, etc for any species to thrive in a micro-environment such as one's yard or neighborhood.

We see this all the time with insects important to trout.

We had an abundance of Golden Orb Weavers last year at our house.  As in 20-30 of them building webs in all the places around the house.  That was the most concentrated I have ever seen, even after 15 years in the country with 3 outbuildings and 5 acres.

This year, there are 3-4 of them - about normal.

We had a superabundance of mosquito hawks this spring - hundreds of them.  Now, I haven't seen one in a month or more.

I just like to remind people the importance of nuisance insects to our lives.
"maybe procrastination is another word for fishing..." ben
"Just butchered my first silk kitty...." Wooly Bugger  January 26, 2018, 12:41:27 PM
You can't land an otter on 7x. Now I know - Dougfish

bmadd

Here in West TN, we seem to have perfect conditions for horseflies. More and bigger than normal.

Stone-Man

We have damn near zero wasps here. Of course my conditions are a 180 from Eden,NC.  I live at approx 2,700 feet on the side of a mountain and it has rained for 2 years. I also have seen less than 10 mosquitos. But we never have had many skeeters here any way. A total lack of some birds such as pine siskins is very noticeable.

  JT

Woolly Bugger

>>>Some Benefits of Wasps
Paper wasps, hornets, and yellowjackets all belong to the same family—the Vespidae—and they all provide extraordinarily important ecological services. Specifically, they help us through pollination, predation, and parasitism. Put simply, without wasps, we would be overrun with insect pests, and we would have no figs—and no Fig Newtons.

Hornets and paper wasps prey on other insects and help keep pest insect populations under control. For instance, paper wasps carry caterpillars and leaf beetle larvae back to their nests to feed their growing young. Hornets provision their nests with all manner of live insects to sate the appetites of their developing larvae. It takes a lot of bugs to feed a hungry brood, and it's through these needs that both hornets and paper wasps provide vital pest control services.

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-good-are-wasps-1968081
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

hcrum87hc

I've actually noticed less wasps.  We had a lot last year, but they've been nearly nonexistent this year.
Jeremiah 17:7

greg

We have had hardly any wasp this year. Some years bastards are everywhere. Mosquitoes are eating my ass alive and supposedly exterminator is spraying yard once a month.

troutrus

Most of the fruit is gone now, but these are the most common type wasps. And when they move to another fruit, these flies move in to clean up. You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.

Yallerhammer

I've seen less yallerjackets this year than in many, many years. I think all the heavy rains early drowned them out.
Women want me, doughbellies fear me. - Little Debbie Prostaff

Onslow

Quote from: troutrus on August 27, 2020, 12:48:36 PMMost of the fruit is gone now, but these are the most common type wasps. And when they move to another fruit, these flies move in to clean up. You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.

Those wasp stingers do have some bite. The areas north of Greensboro and Burlington are thick with them.  Oddly enough, I've not seen any of the old school paper wasps that were ubiquitous years ago.