There are some species of wasps that were introduced to kill invasive species of bugs. They do the same thing today.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bailey Guns
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There are some species of wasps that were introduced to kill invasive species of bugs. They do the same thing today.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bailey Guns
Well, according to the Post, we are importing wasps to kill the Japanese Beetle:
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/08/2...tles-colorado/
...shipments of live predatory wasps were mailed this year from North Carolina to Colorado researchers, who released them into the wild with an assassin’s mission: Sniff out Japanese beetle larvae known as white grubs, burrow underground and lay eggs on the grubs that will eventually hatch, eating the infant beetles.
“Yes, it’s that crazy,” said Larry Hurd, supervisor of the horticulture department for Centennial-based South Suburban Parks and Recreation.
The infestation that stuck and spread originated in Arapahoe County’s Cherry Hills Village area.
“The Cherry Hills Country Club is historically where we became aware of them in the Denver/Englewood area,” said Laura Pottorff, who manages the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s quarantine program for Japanese beetles. “There are a lot of rumors about where it got its start. It may have been the golf course that brought in trees with the beetle. It may have been a nursery down the street. It doesn’t matter who brought the nursery stock in. It’s here.”
They did something similar to try and kill some stinkbug that was introduced from Asia. There's a tiny wasp that lays its eggs inside the egg casings of the stinkbug. The wasp larvae consume the stinkbug larvae and hatch from the egg casings as adult wasps.
Those damn yellow jackets are why I carry an Epipen whenever I go outside. They head straight for me, too. :(
I've actually found a bottle of Aqua-net works wonders. Last year we had a yellow jacket get into the house and after I was done panicking, I grabbed the canister of cheap hair spray and got him with a cloud of aerosol. He stiffened up, mid-flight, and landed with a bouncing 'thunk' in the bay window. The hair spray froze that little bastard, and I hope to god he was still alive when I dropped the Denver Phone Book on him. And beat it with a fist. And slid it up and down the wide sill. No such thing as 'overkill' to something that can put me in the hospital.
Aqua-net coupled with a lighter works even better than plain Aqua-net. Mind the curtains, though.
Was walking the dogs last night, wasp stung me on my ankle right thru my sock.
Found an in ground nest on my landscaping. Right where the HOA says I need to clean up. It was exciting trimming the bush and picking the weeds, and running like a little biotch everytime they swarmed out.
Put a trap out, but thinking a torch and flamables are in order.
People must have different body language, or pheromones or something. I see people who even see a flying insect absolutely lose it. The flying thing isn't even interacting with them, and they act like it is a life and death fight. Meanwhile, I can walk through, or reach into a garden, or lialac bush or something absolutely swarming with bees and wasps and have no issues. I've been stung exactly zero times by doing something that isn't directly agitating an insect.
That's what I always told my wife. Leave them alone and they won't hurt you. That's worked for me up til now. We both got stung on the same day using that approach though it was very reliable in the past.
For some reason lately they're very aggressive and will sting without provocation. Late in the season looking for food, maybe.
I have no problems with bees or wasps, similar experiences as Irving. It's the Hornets that pick the fights.