We believe everything in nature has it's place so we were interested in this company that is trying an alternative to killing wasps with poison. Here are some wasp facts that give us a balanced view about them which is very refreshing to read. We are going to use the Waspinator and see what happens .
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| Wasp collecting wood for nest building © Wildstock |
Fascinating facts about wasps from Waspinator, the natural wasp repellent © Waspinator
Here are some facts about wasps, we hope you will find them as fascinating as we do, and we hope they may save you, and your local wasp colonies, from some unfortunate encounters.Most wasps are female, male wasps are only used for one thing (!) and then they die, straight afterwards
Only female wasps can sting and female wasps do all the work
Male wasps (drones) are slow and sluggish and like to take naps – they lie in empty cells with their tails sticking out
Drones occasionally help to feed the larvae, and do a fair job in tidying and cleaning the house/nest
Wasps only sting humans as a defence mechanism
The worst thing to do is to swat at a wasp – 1. See above
The worst thing to do is to swat at a wasp – 2. When a wasp is swatted it emits a panic signal that will attract other wasps to see what is going on
You can’t run faster than a wasp can fly
Wasps are attracted by bright colours although they can’t see red so that is a good colour to wear in the garden
They also like sweet smells so don’t wear perfume
They also need salt, so use antiperspirant, guys
Wasps can recognise kith and kin both visually and by smell
There are 20,000 species of wasp in the World but in the UK we primarily have 2 – the German Wasp and the Common Wasp
Our wasps are social wasps – they build colonies with social order and specific roles (the Queen, workers, drones, defenders)
Wasps are fantastic architects – the nests are complex structures that typically are home to many thousands of inhabitants
Nests can be aerial or burrowed into the ground
Wasps never re-use a nest
In late summer their nests are overcrowded and up to 10 degrees hotter than outside – this is one reason they can be a bit bad tempered in August
Wasps communicate with each other by emitting pheromones – in this way they can tell their compatriots where food is or alert the nest to intruders
Wasps do play a role in our eco system – they cross-pollinate flowers and plants and they kill aphids and caterpillars
Wasps don’t generally bother us humans until late summer – until then they are too busy foraging for building materials and food for the colony
They will fly for up to 1,000 yards to forage for food and building materials
In late summer their work is done, and their taste changes from protein to sweet stuff – overindulgence on ripe fruit can lead to it fermenting inside them with a resultant hangover and bad attitude
Wasp colonies die off almost completely as winter draws on – a handful of fertilised female wasps leave the nest to find somewhere warm and dry and quite to hibernate over winter, these are next year’s Queens
Queens are larger and more beautiful than the other wasps, more brightly coloured and with different marking
The Queens will come out of hibernation early April, they will build the first few cells of the new nest and lay their eggs
When these eggs hatch the new wasps will take over the construction of the nest and will bring food back for the eggs the Queen continues to lay, then those eggs hatch and so the colony grows. And grows. And grows.
The largest nest found in recent years was in a pub attic in Southampton, it was the size of a large armchair and contained up to half a million wasps. The beer garden was a bit risky to have a drink in.
Waspinator utilises wasps’ territorial nature to frighten them away, it is the only natural wasp repellent and uses nature to defeat nature and the only wasp deterrent that does not hurt wasps in any way.
Good things wasps do, as well as being a nuisance – so use a wasp repellent not a wasp trap
Many insects preyed upon by wasps are garden pests, and in this respect wasps help to regulate pest populations and to prevent potential damage to garden plants, so we believe it is far better to use a wasp repellent not wasp traps.Consequently wasps are beneficial insects. They feed their young on a wide range of invertebrates which cause damage to plants and flowers, such as aphids and caterpillars.
They also visit flowers and therefore help in pollination.
Thus, wherever possible, it is good to leave wasp’s nests undisturbed in order to encourage the natural control of pests, and to reduce the need for insecticide treatments.
This will save money and will help to protect wildlife and your garden environment from unnecessary exposure to pesticide contamination.
So by using a wasp repellent not a wasp trap you are helping nature to look after your garden for you.
Bad things wasps do – but don’t kill wasps, make them go away
Wasps can damage soft fruit, but ripening apples and pears won’t usually be affected unless first damaged by birds or caterpillars.They can be a nuisance in houses when food is being cooked or eaten, especially where sweet foodstuffs are being prepared.
Wasps can also be a serious pest to bees. In Spring worker wasps will attack and carry off foraging worker bees, and later in the year they will take honey bee grubs, and pupae.
They are an absolute pest for humans when trying to dine or socialise outdoors.
Wasps will gnaw into wooden furniture, wooden beams, and anything they can get building materials from.
Having said all this they are still beneficial creatures (see ‘Good things wasps do’ above) and don’t kill wasps just make them go away instead.
Random Posts
- Wasp report September 2012 written by Richard Piddocke
- March 2015 – Asian Hornets written by Richard Piddocke
- Wasp Watch – June 2015 written by Richard Piddocke
