I've got wasps! So does @DirtGently and apparently @gardenfix knows what they are and how to deter them!
It all started when Helen Battersby (@gardenfix), one half of the torontogardens.com sisters was stung by a bee and mentioned a wasp deterrent trick overheard in the lineup at Rona. Another garden blogger, this one montreal based (@DirtGently) chimed in with a question and a cute quip: "Weird: have a series of tiny nests above my balcony door. Guess the same family building new houses every year?"
This got me thinking, because I've got a series of tiny nests above my back door too .. and while I was thinking Helen threw another wrench in the mix with her observation: "There are many different kinds of wasps, including lookalikes." DG, who was previously (probably blissfully) unaware that there were different types of wasps, uploaded a picture and we all got busy learning about wasps. Helen suggested they were likely European Paper wasps, and DG agrees: "Definitely are .. Bonus that they're not aggressive and kind of friendly! Thanks!"
This is what I love so much about Twitter! Critics think its just people broadcasting the mundane minutiae of their days but I find it to be a great tool to network and build professional contacts while at the same time engaging socially -- having quality, thought provoking, relevant, information laden conversations!
Of course .. me being the entomology / science nerd that I am I kept reading. I think Dirt Gently definitely has European Paper Wasps (Polistes dominula) both because of the yellow antennae and narrow waist of the insect and the flat open shape of the nest. The wasps over my door, however, are much blunter and thicker in shape with black antennae and are forming a closed ball shaped nest. Unfortunately I think mine are the more aggressive Aerial Yellowjackets (Dolichovespula arenaria) eep! I'll have to try the paper bag trick now !!
Do try the paper bag trick. It probably won't work on DirtGently's critters, but it might on any large hive-making species, like your pesky yellowjackets. My paper bag is still being tested. Need to BBQ something and eat on the patio for the definitive test. Good luck!
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