Wasps - everywhere ! ?

[Jethro_uk]

Today I have sent quite a few sluggish acting wasps to meet their maker - not quite sure what the score is there.

However, over the past few weeks, we appear to have been inundated with the buggers (I'm not impressed by the fake wasps nest approach to deterrence). They appear to be quite active around the house but try as I might I can't see any signs of us harbouring nests in the eaves/roof which might explain their abundance.

Is this just something to do with this summer in particular - not directly related to our house ?

The wasps we are seeing are also smaller than what I call your "classic" wasp - with a darker overall impression.

[R D S]

I reckon. Everywhere I park there seems to be a wasp in the car if I leave a window open.

And I had to come in from the garden the other day as I wasn't getting a moment's peace from them.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I never used to get issues with mosquitoes. This year any unprotected surface has been covered in bites.

No honey bees until a few days ago

No year is ever like another. Remember the plague of ladybirds.

A few summers ago nothing but meadow browns on the thistles,. This year they are back.

Rabbits have been MASHED by some virus. Hares have taken their place

Elms are back and no sign of beetle

[Johann Klammer]

The dark wasps are bees. The large wasps are hornets. The normal wasps are.. errm.. wasps.

[Roger Hayter]

The real advantage of changes from year to year is that they can all be blamed on global warming. Even when they change back again.

[polygonum_on_google]

Hardly seen any this year or for many years back. The odd one here or there, and people making an almighty fuss about it.

I always remember back in the early 1960s, maybe 1964 or 5? Everyone had jamjars with something sweet inside and a paper lid, held on with a laccie band, with a slot. They were heaving with wasps.

[Brian Gaff]

Well, what about your air bricks or those nearby? The only way to find out will be to see them going in and out of somewhere. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Actually Hares are not doing very well either. However a very hot few days and lots of stuff coming to be ripe or flowering together often results in lots of insects, as they hatch out but cannot always fulfil their aims in the time left when it gets colder, Of course a lot of wasps do get expelled once enough work has been done in the nest for next season. These insects are clever in apparently knowing the finite food supply in an area. Its survival of the fittest and sod the stragglers. Brian

[The Natural Philosopher]

That was back in the 50s for me.

[Ian Jackson]

Few wasps this year (no invasion like last year). I hope they are not simply in hiding somewhere, waiting to make their presence known.

Very few blackfly and greenfly on the roses, and only a little black spot.

And I've still to see any ash tree suffering from the die-back disease.

[polygonum_on_google]

Sadly, we have a whole avenue of dying back ash trees within a couple of hundred yards. Several sick looking oaks around as well.

[newshound]

Most of the large wasps that I see are queens. More at the beginning than the end of the season.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I seen a lot of leaf loss on the aspens this year.

But they are very old.

Chestnuts seem OK and all the birch fungus seems to have died along with most of the birches

[Vir Campestris]

We had an ash in the garden with it. I took it down. It would have had to go one day anyway - 15ft from next door's house...

But I really want to keep that oak across the field. All on its own, and has to be at least 20m high.

Andy

[The Natural Philosopher]

Ive got one really old oak and one aqbout 25 yeras old. Niether look like they want to be high, but girth ios another matter =- the bihg pone is massive.

In forest oaks grow tall. Isolated specimines grow broad :-)

Ive got half a dozen ashes and a few maples that 'just grew'

Ashes are tallest I think. Must check

[Tim Streater]

Next door has some eucalyptus on the boundary. And a pain in the dong they are too - always shedding bark.

[jeikppkywk]

Only some of them shed bark. Plenty of them don?t.