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.
Why is Port Arthur getting steamrolled by a hurricane?
they must have a lot of wasps also
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?
https://www.esa.org/esablog/research/the-story-of-the-fig-and-its-wasp/
Maybe?
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.
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.
Here in West TN, we seem to have perfect conditions for horseflies. More and bigger than normal.
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
>>>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
I've actually noticed less wasps. We had a lot last year, but they've been nearly nonexistent this year.
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.
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. 80573959-2C9B-4D53-AA35-BBEE01C5521F.jpegBE6D54C1-CAC5-4617-BDC6-8010EFE1DA06.jpeg
I've seen less yallerjackets this year than in many, many years. I think all the heavy rains early drowned them out.
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. 80573959-2C9B-4D53-AA35-BBEE01C5521F.jpegBE6D54C1-CAC5-4617-BDC6-8010EFE1DA06.jpeg
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.
Also, this thread title has probably skeered user
@Grannyknot off the board
Quote from: Yallerhammer on August 27, 2020, 16:50:21 PMI've seen less yallerjackets this year than in many, many years. I think all the heavy rains early drowned them out.
I heard they are building nests elsewhere, just not in the ground. At least you can see them.
All I have a bunch of is skeeters. Those daytime active tiger ones are ruthless.
Quote from: Dougfish on August 28, 2020, 12:44:07 PMAll I have a bunch of is skeeters. Those daytime active tiger ones are ruthless.
EA909A2E-8DB5-4429-A16B-964F9577219D.jpeg
Fuck anything with a stinger. Just got new epipens in the mail.
No anomalies here. Skeeters are thick as usual. We did have a crazy amount of crane flies this spring (mosquito hawks)
Quote from: driver on August 29, 2020, 21:07:36 PMWe did have a crazy amount of crane flies this spring (mosquito hawks)
Same here.....weird. They were everywhere
Quote from: Beetle on August 30, 2020, 06:48:36 AMQuote from: driver on August 29, 2020, 21:07:36 PMWe did have a crazy amount of crane flies this spring (mosquito hawks)
Same here.....weird. They were everywhere
Many in the family are truly semi-aquatic, so increase in precipitation could perhaps explain – any new or permanent wet areas = habitat.
No skeeters,wasps,few borer bees,a few mud dobbers,normal amount of spiders and ants. Do Yawl think that this is due to the 2,700 ft. and lots of rain. Kind of got me wondering ???
JT
Yard was covered with Blue Winged Wasp. Over 100 hovering over the grass. Cool insect.
Quote from: greg on August 27, 2020, 11:52:28 AMWe 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.
This has been my experience. Hardly any wasps/hornets, but those mosquitoes will tote your ass off at my house in the early evening.
Next to none on the mosquitoes and deer flies at my valley home which has been great. Have the usual amount of wasps.