GARDEN TALK

World of Wasps

Though widely considered a menace, most wasps help to control pests in gardens and yards

Mid summer is peak activity time for so many insects – buzzing by, singing in the trees, eating our plants or trying to take a bite out of us. As much as we may admire or despise insects, they are part of our world and daily environment. If you spend any time outdoors – working the farm, sitting on the porch, or even taking a hike – you will find insects. Or they might find you. One large unique group of insects associated with summertime is the wasps.

Back in my childhood days, I saw wasps on porches and around barns and other outdoor structures. Looking up and seeing a large paper wasp eye-to-eye was indeed a fright. Hearing and watching the dirt daubers build their mud nests was intriguing and entertaining. Getting surprised and popped by yellow jackets while mowing a field or lawn was not summertime fun.

Most people will quickly consider wasps a menace and nuisance. Rightfully so, as most wasp species may greet us with a sting after getting too close. But most wasps also are valuable in the biological control of various pests in gardens and yards. Knowing more about the different kinds of wasps could help us understand them better and determine which are harmless and which are pests.

At the top of the list of well-known wasps are the paper wasps. They make the open-celled umbrella-like paper nests commonly seen hanging in exterior eaves and corners of buildings. Part of the genus Poilstes, there arethree common paper wasps in Alabama: the Metric Paper Wasp; Finebacked Red Paper Wasp; and the Guinea Paper Wasp.

These wasps build on any surface that is protected from the elements, especially in the corners of windows and doors, under eaves, porches, decks and railings, along rafters and in

almost all outdoor buildings. They have been known to build and occupy unusual places, such as in mailboxes, under stored boats and within bushes. Though not aggressive, paper wasps will sting if they feel threatened or provoked. It can be a frightening and dangerous thing to be near or get close to a large wasp nest. Some large nests could contain 10 to 15 wasps. Although paper wasps are beneficial insects, it is hard to justify their building nests where people could come in direct contact with them. Young children are especially vulnerable, as they Steer Clear Previous Pages: Fine-backed Red Paper Wasps build paper nests under eaves and other structures; Clockwise from Above Left: The best often don’t know about wasps or notice them. It is a good idea to look around your home and eradicate potential dangerous strategy for yellow jackets is to leave them wasp nests. alone, if possible; Some Guinea Paper Wasp The “dirt dauber” is a very nests include as many as 15 wasps; The Eastern interesting wasp and a talented Cicada Killer Wasp is not a threat to humans. insect. These little wasps carry mud to make those long tubular mud cavities or mud huts along walls on buildings. Known officially as mud daubers, dirt daubers are very much workaholic insects. The Organ-pipe Mud Dauber, the Black and Yellow Mud Dauber and the Blue Metallic Mud Dauber are the three common species found in Alabama. A lot of their day is spent gathering tiny balls of moist mud to make long tunnel-like cells and nests along walls. The Organ-pipe Mud Dauber, most notable of the three, gets its name because its additional cells of muds are usually built parallel to the first. Once a “pipe” is completed, the wasp will deposit an egg, along with a captured and paralyzed spider, within each cell inside the mud cavity. Believe it or not, the stored spider will serve as a food source for when the young wasp hatches. Although harmless and beneficial insects, mud daubers can sometimes be nuisances, especially when they build those mud huts around the home on porches, carports,

garages and outside buildings. Their mud cavities are an eyesore, sometimes long lived and messy to remove. See the August 2020 edition of Lake magazine for more on Docile Dirt Daubers.

Despite its name and reputation, the yellow jacket is a type of wasp. These insects make paper nests in the ground in areas that could include old rodent burrows, the undersides of landscape timbers and heavy mulch or in rock walls. They also have been found in the wall voids of homes. The primary diet of yellow jackets consists of dead insects and earthworms and other carrion; however, they also forage on sweet materials later in the season and can be aggressive.

Yellow jackets are a serious pest and could pose a health threat to humans because of their painful sting. If you have a nest of yellow jackets in your yard, first determine if they are a problem or not. The best strategy against yellow jackets is to leave them alone. One or two flying around will not attack unless provoked – such as with swatting (see the September 2020 edition of Lake Martin Living for a feature entitled Little Devils about yellow jackets).

The largest intimidating wasp that is active in the summer is the Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp. This large black wasp with colorful yellow markings on several segments of its abdomen, is approximately 2 inches long; however, despite the size, they are mild mannered and not aggressive to humans. In fact, it is sort of rare to see them resting or even to get a photo. Their size and buzzing sometimes spooks folks.

Cicada Killers are most noticed when females begin digging underground burrows along sidewalks or patio edges, in flower beds, gardens or lawns. They are solitary wasps, meaning unlike paper wasps or yellow jackets, they work alone; there is only one adult per hole. Males, which GARDEN TALK cannot sting, may set up territories in areas where females are working and may investigate people and equipment that come by. The last group of common wasp we occasionally see is hornets. The Bald-faced Hornet and the European Hornet are two species in particular found in Alabama. Baldfaced hornets are black and white and measure about 3/4-inch in length, a little bit larger than yellow jackets. They build enclosed gray paper nests – up to about 12 inches in diameter – that usually hang on tree limbs. The European Hornet is much bigger at almost 1-1/2 inches long. It is brownish yellow in color and has orange stripes on its abdomen. The Shane Harris European Hornet feeds almost exclusively on live insects and is an excellent predator; whereas, the Bald-Faced Hornet is often seen foraging and flying around porches during the day, the European Hornet is on occasion spotted at night as it is attracted to outdoor and porch lights. Hornets are considered beneficial insects but occasionally build their nests in the vicinity of people, such as on houses, in nearby trees and shrubs and along outdoor buildings. Most of the time, hornets and their nests go unnoticed until a person surprisingly finds one or gets warned for getting too close. Normally, hornets are not aggressive, but they are very protective and will sting repeatedly if you get too close, disturb their nest or provoke them to make them mad. The world of wasps may not get the positive publicity it deserves. Sort of neat insects though, if you study them a little bit. They have their place and purpose. Just as long as they keep those stingers at bay and out of our way. For help on other home and garden questions, contact the local county Extension office or visit us online ataces.edu. Harmless Nuisance Below Left: The Black and Yellow Mud Dauber collects mud with ~ Shane Harris is the County Extension Coordinator for Tallapoosa County. which it builds its nest; Below Right: Mud daubers, like this Organ-Pipe Mud Dauber, are not harmful to humans.

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