Wasp's - love em or hate em!

[skyhuck]

The sting does not bother me that much, its the days of itching that drives me potty!!

[treequip]

How can you love a wasp? They are evil little sods with no purpose in life other than to sting! I stood on a nest as a youngster, got stung a few times and really hate them. Last summer I saw a few flying in and out of my coal bunker, lifted the lid and peeked in only to find a nest about 6" diameter directly in front of my nose. Dropped the lid and legged it, paid the £25 quid for someone to come out with protective gear on and spray it. They were swarming all over him when he was spraying, it was some of the wisest spent money I've ever podded out I reckon!

 

You could be forgiven for thinking that but (in the UK) adult social wasps are prolific pollinators

 

Solitary wasps are often parasitic and their hosts are often what we consider pest species so the wasp is an important biological control.

 

Personally I despise wasps but they do have their place in the world, I just wish it were a long way from me.

[aob9]

I read a detailed article on wasps early in the year. It outlined their positive traits and interesting social behaviour. That article changed my opinion of them until I got stung 3 times while shaping a cotoneaster hedge a few weeks ago. Nasty little buggers, I hate them. BTW they have destroyed my apple crop as well.

[djbobbins]

Point taken on the pollination but as already said above, if a wasp has its place in the world then all the better if it's a long way away from me!

 

I'm sure it was only £25 but I think the guy was doing pest control as a sideline to something else - remember he was only there about 20 minutes, only came from about a mile and a half up the road and turned up in a normal road car. Fairly basic PPE, no special vehicles and the main equipment cost was a spray bottle like you'd do a bit of weed spraying with.

 

But I re-state my case - watching through the kitchen window at the little sods swarming around when he was spraying made me glad I'd not opted for a DIY approach.

 

My family is obviously getting softer with each generation; my father's approach to wasp nests is to prod with a sweeping brush and my grandfather used to smoke them out at night, then sell the whole nest down the pub to fishermen!!

[treequip]

until I got stung 3 times while shaping a cotoneaster hedge a few weeks ago. Nasty little buggers.

 

I came nose to nose with a nest in a hedge recently, nearly pooped my pants till I realised it was uninhabited.

[RobRainford]

I got stung on the eyelid as a kid. Lucky it didn't sting 1mm higher!

 

Hated them ever since.

 

 

I've got a sycamore stem to fell that's got a nest at the base. It's opening has been covered by wood and expanding foam. Let's hope they have left by Monday!

[big fell!]

Dont hate em but i do not like being stung! On the quad checking cattle last week i hit one and it went inside my shirt and did me 3 times before i managed to kill it... Luckily there was no alergic reactions for me. Good show for the cattle though, me flying off the bike and ripping my shirt off.

[Danavan]

I carry a sting pen in my van. It contains amonia & works a treat for wasp stings & somthing I'm allergic to 'horse flys!!' As long as you can apply it a few mins after the stings.

 

Sorry to hear of your reaction to the little gits! very annoying when a little thing like that can have such a big effect on people. Got to give em a little respect for it though.

I do wonder though how somthing with balls that big for its size can fly though!!

[WoodED]

you cant blame them for stinging u if ur around there nest, that nest is there world and there only protecting it, having sed that i hate the little blighters