A vespiary near the garden
can lead to violence. That sounds pretty vile, but what does it mean?
What is a vespiary? It’s a
wasp next. And, if disturbed, the vespirary can virtually erupt, with wasps
swarming and buzzing and stining.
Wasp stings can cause pain,
itching, rashes, and swelling. In allergic individuals, the reactions may be
even more severe. For this reason, vigilant gardeners are cautious around wasp
nests and particularly careful when removing them.
So how do you get rid of a wasp nest?
- First, it’s important to find out if you are allergic to wasp stings. A medical allergy test can be done.
- It may be helpful to determine what kind of wasps are living in the nest. Odds are, they are hornets, paper wasps, or yellow jackets. None of these are bees, as wasps are another species altogether.
- Choose your timing strategically. The best time to remove a wasp nest is in midwinter, when freezing temperatures kill off the inhabitants. The next best choice is early spring, before the colony is fully populated. By late summer, a large nest might contain thousands of wasps. Also, the wasps tend to be most aggressive later in the season.
- Ideally, the wasp nest removal takes place at night, when wasps generally are resting. Avoid using a flashlight, as this will draw them to you.
- If the wasp nest is up high (as it is likely to be), it’s far safer to call a professional exterminator than to try to tackle the job yourself. If the wasps swarm, you could risk falling from a ladder and suffering serious injury. Professional help is also advised, if the wasp nest is in a hard to reach spot, such as under house siding or beneath a deck or porch.
- Put on protective clothing, covering as much of your body, legs, feet, arms, hands, neck, head, and face as possible. Safety goggles can be useful. Wear a mask to cover your mouth and nose, particularly when spraying the wasp nest.
- Pick and clear a way of quick escape before spraying, as the wasps are sure to evacuate the nest promptly. Remove flower pots, garden tools, toys, or other potential roadblocks.
- Spray the entire wasp nest liberally. Both organic and chemical wasp sprays and powders are sold. Keep in mind that these pesticide products are poisonous.
- Be sure to collect and dispose of any dead wasps after spraying, so pets and other animals do not eat them and ingest the wasp spray.
- Keep children, pets, and others away from the area for at least 24 hours.
Safe removal of the wasp nest
and eviction of its wasp population can greatly increase gardening safety and
enjoyment. Also, by losing the wasps, but not harming any bees, the natural
garden pollination can continue unheeded.
Images:
Wasp Nest
By Sanjay Acharya
Creative Commons
Licensing
NOTE: This blogger has no affiliation with any product/s mentioned in this post and received no remuneration from the manufacturer/s or product promoter/s for this post.
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