Bloody wasps part 2

My log store is full of the dozy things too.

Tim

Can you not let off some kind of fumigation squib like they use for greenhouses in the place? Brian

Why would you want to? They won't "attack" in the dozy state. Unless you are unlucky enough to have one start a nest somewhere really inconvenient any that survive will only do good next year.

I already had two nests in the attic this year, and another in the garden, so I'm keen to avoid that next year.

I would be tempted to get a couple of cans of Raid!

Ditto. How do you tell a queen from any other, apart, presumably, from it being bigger (a whopper wasp, in fact).

John

I think it?s only the queens that over-winter. They are bigger than regular wasps.

Tim

Correct. I think I saw an ordinary one around some decaying apples a couple of weeks ago, but by now you usually only see the significantly larger queens, typically after disturbing a woodpile or other hibernation place.

Any wasp that's around now will be a queen. Especially if it's indoors, perhaps in a room that hasn't been used for a while or suddenly has the CH turned on in it. Queenie warms up, thinks it's spring, starts to fly around the room. Loud buzzing sound. It'll be dozy, so easy to whack.

Or, as likely in my case recently, bringing logs from the outside log pile into a warm room.