Wasps

[Plocket]

Has anyone got any ideas as to how I can keep wasps off our apples while they are still on the tree? It's only a tiny tree, and it was damaged earlier this year, so we only have about 10 fruits, and we want to eat them!!!!!

Many thanks!

[piggingardener]

The only thing I can suggest is to provide them with something they'll like better. You can get wasp traps but I don't know how effective they are. You could try hanging jam jars up with a small quantity of jam in the bottom and some water - theory being that the wasps will be attracted to the jam and drown themselves.

Good luck

[4pygmies]

I read that old tights or summat like wrapped round the fruit will deter them - or is life a bit short to be dressing up apples? Depends how much you want the apples I suppose!

[Plocket]

I'm not keen on the feeding the wasps idea - we did have wasp traps but recently found a queen wasp building a nest inside ours - YUCK! I'd rather not encourage them even more to come into our garden, but thanks for the thought.

As for tights - well I guess I'd better raid the local charity shops because I don't wear tights (beastly things). We are very keen to keep the apples to ourselves so tights it might have to be - I'll run it by OH first though - it's his apple tree!!!

[Deleted]

i don't grow apples but i do feed the wasps to keep them away from me (stung 3x )
they like bananas

[Plocket]

Eeeeeeugh! You might have warned me about the photos GW - you usually post such lovely ones! Px

[Deleted]

sorry P

[Plocket]

PML! No worries! (I hope this smilie works!!!)

[sleepysunday]

I still cannot see why everyone is so against wasps. I prefer to share my crops with the wildlife. Let the birsd have their share of the soft fruit. Let the wasps have their fill of apples. They have never upset me. I was stung last year when a wasp was on the far side of my kitchen tap without me noticing, but he survived and I was able to catch him and release him outdoors. I think they are attractive in their yellow striped jerseys, and although not at heartwarming as bees I still like to se them in my garden. Had a wasps nest in my garage the year before last. Was not stung once by them, and they moved on at the end of the year. Give the poor guys (and gals) a break, we've all got to share this planet.

[sweetleaf]

What I usually tell my children (and various scaredy cats) is if a wasp is near you, be still, like a tree, you are so big, its hard for their tiny brains to even register that you are alive, and when have you ever seen a wasp attack a tree?
Its worked for me, the only time I`ve ever been stung was when one blew into the open window of a car....bum first..... I`m pretty sure that one was accidental!
If the tree is very small, how about netting the entire tree until youve picked the fruit? Ten fruits isnt bad BTW, I only got one, as the blossoms were battered off the tree by high winds before they had a chance to be pollinated

[piggingardener]

I agree with you Sleepy about everything except wasps. I am allergic to their stings and am therefore justifiably frightened of them. I use copious amounts of citronella oil in lamps and citronella candles etc to keep them away from me whilst I am sitting in the garden. If I'm working out there I have to be extremely careful. I'm not that keen on hospital food........

[sleepysunday]

Oh Sweetleaf, that poor wasp! I would be petrified if I was blown though a car window bum first.

[sleepysunday]

I understand PG

[Plocket]

I don't try and kill every wasp I see - I just don't want them eating my precious apples!!!

[Main Admin]

I agree that we should enjoy the wildlife but you have to draw the line somewhere, I wouldn't let a dog eat off my dinner plate so protecting the apples that they do plan to eat is ok too. I think the traps are the best Idea but try and keep them away from the tree.
Or try the sort of nets that onions come in and cover the apples they will still be able to ripen and the wasps won't get through the mesh netting.

[sweetleaf]

Dont be sorry for the wasp sleepy, it got away clean, the driver, who was afraid of it, nearly crashed the car in his panic, and it wasnt even him who got stung... wasp escaped as soon as the car stopped!
I hadnt been stung before and it didnt hurt as much as I had previously thought it might so I suppose I`m lucky.
PG sorry to hear of your allergy do you have to carry one of those pen things (epi-pen I think) for the reaction?

[4pygmies]

I don't think there's a vehicle on the planet that could cope with me being blown in bum first through the window, even if I was wearing a black and yellow stripey jumper. Mind you, it would have to be a hurricane to even get me off the ground!! I'm with SS about wasps but then I'm not allergic to them (I don't think....), I don't blame PG for putting herself before the wasp.

[piggingardener]

PG sorry to hear of your allergy do you have to carry one of those pen things (epi-pen I think) for the reaction?

No - it's not quite that bad. I swell up and have to have anti-histamines and sometimes antibiotics too. The stings are also very painful to me for several hours, sometimes days. The last time I was stung, the wasp flew up my t-shirt sleeve and stung me in a rather vulnerable place - agony! Nuff said.

[sweetleaf]

OUCH! no wonder you dont like them......my sympathies, PG

[Alicat]

Hi plocket.
I hate them... Wasps that is....when I was camping 2 years ago, we had a wasp nest in the hedge by the tent. The b*****s stung most of us. - not nice. They loved the honey traps though. (and melon we had for our tea.)
;D ;D I just thought. send 4P in with her flame thrower ( the farmer of our site, flamed the nest.) On second thoughts scrub that. You don't want to loose those lovely apples. It sounds like tights is the way to go.

I'm not that keen on hospital food........

I agree hospital food is yuk.!

sorry sleepy we will have to differ on this one.


Goodluck.

Alicat.

sorry: as usual I think I am late with my reply. Somehow I missed the 2nd page.

[Plocket]

Hehehe! No worries Alicat! Actually your blow torch idea reminded me of my parents - they had a hornets nest at the base of one of their apple trees and dad decided to burn it eventually. He'd tried all sorts of sprays which hadn't worked, so poured something flamable over the nest then threw a match at it. The tree suffered a bit, but not nearly as much as the hornets! Needless to say the rest of the family stayed shut in the house with the windows closed!!!!! And there were no hornets this year - phew!

[Main Admin]

My wife when she was younger went up into the attic of her mothers house and didn't realise that there was a wasps nest up there the size of a football, she was pottering about when suddenly she became aware that there was wasps starting to gather up, she stepped back with fright and fell through the plaster and ended up hanging by her leg screaming, her father had to come and help her down which wasn't easy due to the tight space. Not surprisingly she still hates them.

[madonplants]

It is a bit late now, but I heard on Gardener's World, that there are some apple trees that don't get touched, when the one growing nextdoor is desimated. It depends on what variety you grow. I have forgotton what variety was doing best. Like I said pointless now, sorry!

Keith