Wasps - important?

[ShrekDawg]

what do wasps do? Because I want to get rid of them and I've heard they basically just go around fricking **** up but if they're important, I won't. But I'm scared of them. Well, bees too, but I realize how important the bees are so I wouldn't get rid of them, but wasps are just MEAN. And super scary. And we have sooooo many bees and things on our property

 

[lularat]

I don't like wasps either, but they do eat aphids and other pests. I leave them alone, as long as they don't build nests to close to my house. They can get quite mean if disturbed.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yeah, I guess that's true. But that's the problem, they tend to build under the deck railing or roof overhang

 

[lazy gardener]

As long as they are not nesting on my buildings, or in areas that my family frequents, I leave them alone. but when they build nests on my home or other buildings, they've gotta go... and I'm not too friendly towards them when I get rid of them! But, I do pride myself in getting rid of a lot of nests without resorting to spray. I once watched a big old white tailed wasp fly down and snag a fly. She then carried the fly a ways, and systematically munched the fly until there was nothing left but a little round pellet... about the size that would fit in one of the cells of her nest. I gained a new respect for wasps that day!

 

[1muttsfan]

Some wasps are important pollinators, others prey on parasitic insects. I also have a live-and-let-live policy towards them, and in years of outdoor activity have only been stung on 2 occasions. Smarted, but nothing life-threatening.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yeah, I guess you guys have good points. Idk, maybe I'll try fake nests or something. I've never really been stung either I guess but we use the deck. Even if we don't eat on the table, we grill on the other one (we have 2, a smaller one with the grill and a lower one that's bigger and has a table and whatnot) so if they're right on the railing next to the grill, it's a problem. But maybe I'll try to just trap them or something. Also, sometimes I won't eat outside cause I'm so scared of them. They sometimes land on food and are so pesky. But I can't swat them so it's like "what now?" Lol

 

[lazy gardener]

There are wasp lures that can be made out of soda bottles. I'll let them live, but I won't tolerate being dive bombed when I'm enjoying my meal. An other pet peeve is yellow jackets. I have much less tolerance for them, as they love to prowl around in the mulch in my garden. I use a butterfly net to snag them, then it's crunch time.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That's a good idea and oh yeah, the yellow jackets are the ones that tend to land on the food!! I mean, it's not necessarily a swarm but there's often one, sometimes several, and even if there aren't, Im scared that there could be. And oh yeah, that's a problem! Ya could get stung if you dig around.