Those “pieces of shit” do a bang up job of keeping the caterpilars and other pest creepy-crawlies off the fruiting trees.
NGL, have a friend whose house has 2-inch eaves (not soffits) that are lined each summer with wasps nests.
They do nothing but ferry all the caterpillars off the peach trees to their nests all summer long.
Also, as there are always people outside on the porch, the wasps are totally chill with everyone and no one has ever been stung or swooped at.
(Friend shares the bounty… we get lots of peaches for their diligent work… peach pies, peach cobbler, peach schnapps, peach jam, peaches with ice cream… you get the idea…)
It’s about being a part of the territory, not an interloper.
I like the wasps… now the white faced hornets… that’s another story. Utter cunts, those ones are.
We have ground wasps here, one of the types that we call yellow jackets. Take a step in the wrong spot and you will be swarmed. They’re tiny little tenacious stingy bastards that, I swear to god, keep stinging past death. My mom once stepped on a hive, got swarmed, and ran inside. Our dog was curious, she also got swarmed and went inside. I was on my computer, headphones on, and I hear howling, from both Mom and dog. I ran out thinking they were being murdered. My mom was trying to brush them off her clothes but they just clung on, so I just started smacking her. The dog ate at least one. Then they attacked me and I got stung all over my arms and head, including in my ear. I almost passed out from the pain. My poor dog had a swollen nose and a new fear. My mom was in so much pain we almost took her to the hospital. My ear hurt for days.
I murdered those bastards with prejudice. And chemicals. And then fire. Nobody attacks my mother. Or my dogs.
Also, as there are always people outside on the porch, the wasps are totally chill with everyone and no one has ever been stung or swooped at.
In the States, our yellowjackets don’t swoop and sting much, but they have a super-annoying tendency to hover over one’s food. Possibly the behavior’s a bit different where you are, possibly via related but different species.
Am in the Northeast, so we have smallish yellowjackets, the brown and tan wasps, (those ones are the chillest) hornets… fucking carpenter bees (they eat houses!) bumblebees and reguar honeybees. I miss the green bees - haven’t seen any for a few years up this way…
They never can seem to make up their minds. IM OVER HER IM OVER HERE NOW IM OVER HERE WHAT IS THAT LET’S LOOK AT IT FROM OVER HERE WOOPS NO LETS GO BACK HANG ON I’M OVER HERE NOW HOW ABOUT OVER HERE
Like dude you can have a sip of my soda I’ll leave a splash right here just make up your mind take what you want and go. away.
We have wasps that love meat here, they come and sit at the table at your picnics. They’re still friends though, even when you’re fighting ten for a piece of sushi. They don’t sting even when you accidentally hit them swatting them away
Hornets be chill as fuck tho. They don’t care unless you’re close to their nest. They’re real little darlings. You’re way moreikely to get stung by a honeybee
Hey!!! Now, waitaminit!
Those “pieces of shit” do a bang up job of keeping the caterpilars and other pest creepy-crawlies off the fruiting trees.
NGL, have a friend whose house has 2-inch eaves (not soffits) that are lined each summer with wasps nests.
They do nothing but ferry all the caterpillars off the peach trees to their nests all summer long.
Also, as there are always people outside on the porch, the wasps are totally chill with everyone and no one has ever been stung or swooped at.
(Friend shares the bounty… we get lots of peaches for their diligent work… peach pies, peach cobbler, peach schnapps, peach jam, peaches with ice cream… you get the idea…)
It’s about being a part of the territory, not an interloper.
I like the wasps… now the white faced hornets… that’s another story. Utter cunts, those ones are.
We have ground wasps here, one of the types that we call yellow jackets. Take a step in the wrong spot and you will be swarmed. They’re tiny little tenacious stingy bastards that, I swear to god, keep stinging past death. My mom once stepped on a hive, got swarmed, and ran inside. Our dog was curious, she also got swarmed and went inside. I was on my computer, headphones on, and I hear howling, from both Mom and dog. I ran out thinking they were being murdered. My mom was trying to brush them off her clothes but they just clung on, so I just started smacking her. The dog ate at least one. Then they attacked me and I got stung all over my arms and head, including in my ear. I almost passed out from the pain. My poor dog had a swollen nose and a new fear. My mom was in so much pain we almost took her to the hospital. My ear hurt for days.
I murdered those bastards with prejudice. And chemicals. And then fire. Nobody attacks my mother. Or my dogs.
In the States, our yellowjackets don’t swoop and sting much, but they have a super-annoying tendency to hover over one’s food. Possibly the behavior’s a bit different where you are, possibly via related but different species.
Am in the Northeast, so we have smallish yellowjackets, the brown and tan wasps, (those ones are the chillest) hornets… fucking carpenter bees (they eat houses!) bumblebees and reguar honeybees. I miss the green bees - haven’t seen any for a few years up this way…
But those carpenter bees…
They never can seem to make up their minds. IM OVER HER IM OVER HERE NOW IM OVER HERE WHAT IS THAT LET’S LOOK AT IT FROM OVER HERE WOOPS NO LETS GO BACK HANG ON I’M OVER HERE NOW HOW ABOUT OVER HERE
Like dude you can have a sip of my soda I’ll leave a splash right here just make up your mind take what you want and go. away.
We have wasps that love meat here, they come and sit at the table at your picnics. They’re still friends though, even when you’re fighting ten for a piece of sushi. They don’t sting even when you accidentally hit them swatting them away
Wasps are always invited to the cookout!
They actually scare away the flies from what I’ve seen. Flies puke on your food, wasps chomp intentionally leaving less fluids.
It’s particularly bad in late summer and early fall, when their diet shifts to be more protein-rich — human food tends to be more appealing.
Yes and wasps are important pollinators too
Hell yeah! I’m so glad for lemmy opposed to reddit cause I see some wasp defense here! Wasps are bros.
I have no real ill will towards any bug that is outside other than horse flies. Horse flies can go to hell. Fucking bastards bite just for fun
And sweat bees.
Hornets be chill as fuck tho. They don’t care unless you’re close to their nest. They’re real little darlings. You’re way moreikely to get stung by a honeybee
for honeybees stinging is a life and death choice. Hornets don’t care
Only if you make them care. Personally, I like’em. They’re like the B52s of insects.
Schnapps, you say? (suddenly in need of a drink )