Wasps!

[Creekside Farm]

Our coop is almost finished. While painting inside, I had 2 wasps come in to check it out. Are wasps any concern for chickens or will they be eaten like any other bug? There really is no way for me to keep them out of the coop.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Our coop is almost finished. While painting inside, I had 2 wasps come in to check it out. Are wasps any concern for chickens or will they be eaten like any other bug? There really is no way for me to keep them out of the coop.

I don't allow nesting bugs such as wasps, bees, etc. to take up residence inside our coop/barn. Not worth the potential hassle to myself or my animals should they feel the need to become defensive of "their" territory. The coop side is sealed off with 1/2 inch hardware cloth, but the adjoining horse stall is a favorite place for them to start nests in - weekly inspections of that side are done and all new construction sites are destroyed. It never gets beyond the very first few cells with this approach, so no infestation ever happens. The only exception to this approach would be made for honey bee swarms - those would be reported to local bee keepers for relocation services.

Sealing all openings but the chicken door with 1/2 inch hardware cloth will fairly effectively keep them out - wasps tend to enter through higher openings (eave vents, etc) rather than going down and looking for the chicken door so this will be a great deterrent as they will likely find the area inaccessible and move to an easier potential nesting spot. The reduction in wasps who get in will make keeping them from taking up residence that much easier. Simply check for any nest building on a regular basis and eliminate those that do try it.

 

[cruisnmoma]

We had some kind of wasp build a nest in the wall of our coop. They seemed to bother our girls enough that for at least a few days they did not want to go in and lay. I was a few flying around and did not think much about it at first. Then I saw them going into the wall. It was a huge nest. We had to pull out the wall and kill it.

We check for wasps every time we clean it out. If you see the beginings of a wasp nest starting I would knock it down ASAP. I do not know if our girls would have tried to eat them, but I was not going to take any chances with them getting swarmed or hurt.

 

[Creekside Farm]

Thank you for your input. I would absolutely not permit any wasps to take up residence in the coop and knock down all signs of residence when they appear around here. I have 1/2" hardware cloth, etc... The coop is just not airtight and I was curious if my girls would eat them.

 

[tcstoehr]

There are wasps and then there are WASPS. I've noticed a species of wasp building a nest up in the highest corner of my coop, well away from anywhere the hens would be. I know from living here a long time that they are completely unaggressive and their nests are on the small side, maybe a dozen workers at the most. The wasps themselves are on the smallish side as well. I plan on leaving them there and scraping the nest off in the winter and tossing it aside.
To give you an idea, these same wasps are always building a nest in the mailbox in my garden that I use for a toolbox. They don't bother me a bit as I retrieve tools, although they seem to assume a defensive posture. They are all over around here and I count myself lucky that they're not aggressive. I have been stung once when I shoved my hand inside a birdhouse without looking as I was cleaning it out at the end of the season. Seems like my fault, I really couldn't blame them for that. Lesson learned.
However, if these were hornets or yellowjackets... different story. Much more aggressive and depending on the species may build humongous nests with staggering numbers. I would rid my coop of those immediately if not sooner.
Here's what my little buddies have done so far. I'm gonna leave them be. But maybe in your case, better safe than sorry.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How you deal with them is up to you. I personally knock the nests down. If they can catch them they will eat them but usually the nests and wasps are so high it's not an issue. The chickens just can't get to them.