Wasp ID help in NW Washington State
Jul 16, 2023 18:54:57 #
Our back deck has two nests going and I'm curious about species and tendencies.
My wife frequents the deck multiple times a day to smoke and they haven't been aggressive in the least.
To this point, I used a 24mm prime Canon EFS to get these. Cropped quite a bit but I was putting the camera within 5 - 7 inches to get these shots and they didn't care about me in the least.
Any thoughts? My first instinct with wasps is kill and remove nests from the spaces we inhabit a lot. We have one cat that loves to catch bugs, he got stung today but I'll bet he had it coming.....
Rob
My wife frequents the deck multiple times a day to smoke and they haven't been aggressive in the least.
To this point, I used a 24mm prime Canon EFS to get these. Cropped quite a bit but I was putting the camera within 5 - 7 inches to get these shots and they didn't care about me in the least.
Any thoughts? My first instinct with wasps is kill and remove nests from the spaces we inhabit a lot. We have one cat that loves to catch bugs, he got stung today but I'll bet he had it coming.....
Rob
Jul 16, 2023 19:15:02 #
Looks like vespula vulgaris, a yellow jacket wasp. They are territorial and can be aggressive and can sting multiple times.
Jul 16, 2023 19:20:06 #
Jul 16, 2023 19:20:38 #
druthven wrote:
Looks like vespula vulgaris, a yellow jacket wasp. They are territorial and can be aggressive and can sting multiple times.
Their sting hurts like h*ll! Ask me how I know.
will
Jul 16, 2023 19:20:54 #
Umnak wrote:
Our back deck has two nests going and I'm curious ... (show quote)
If they are bothering you just spray the nest with Raid or wait for a morning with heavy dew just pull it down and stomp on it.
Jul 16, 2023 19:39:35 #
Buy a can of wasp and hornet spray, stand back about 10-15’ and spray. No more wasps.
Jul 16, 2023 19:44:19 #
Umnak wrote:
Our back deck has two nests going and I'm curious ... (show quote)
you got some good shots of them, rob...lucky you didn't get stung!
Jul 16, 2023 20:17:05 #
Nicely shot. Those thing are dangerous so be careful. Soak the nest with Bee and Wasp spray, put in a plastic bag and throw it in the trash.
Jul 16, 2023 20:25:16 #
My pest control guy uses diatomaceous earth (DE) on our wasps. He uses an air bulb to spray it around where they are - they’re gone in a couple of days… It’s often used as in swimming pool filters and I’ve seen it in Wally World in the garden section…
Jul 17, 2023 06:33:31 #
Umnak wrote:
Our back deck has two nests going and I'm curious ... (show quote)
Yellow jackets are not particularly aggressive if you do not disturb them. If you bump the nest, you are likely to get stung. I usually leave the nests alone if they are not in my way because they are beneficial to gardens and plants in general.
Jul 17, 2023 07:32:23 #
Jul 17, 2023 09:13:38 #
gvarner
Loc: Central Oregon Coast
I call them mud wasps. They’re fairly small as wasps go and aren’t aggressive. They build those open cell nests as opposed to the bigger paper nests of yellow jackets. They can sting but it’s more of a pin prick than the red hot bullet of the bigger wasps and hornets.
Jul 17, 2023 10:52:30 #
Umnak wrote:
Our back deck has two nests going and I'm curious ... (show quote)
They look like paper wasps and generally are not going to bother you unless you get too close or disturb them which they will get defensive. They are beneficial since they eat spiders and little bugs we do not want on us or your plants and yard. But ! IF you feel you feel like they have to go, I do not know how to tell them to please relocate somewhere else. But the poisons are needed. Just regular dish soap in water will kill them immediately. Just put it in a spay bottle and spray it on them. They part of the group I call 'bugs with benefits' .
Bruce.
Jul 17, 2023 10:56:50 #
gvarner
Loc: Central Oregon Coast
riderxlx wrote:
They look like paper wasps and generally are not g... (show quote)
Right. I called them mud wasps but they’re paper wasps.
Jul 17, 2023 11:13:02 #
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