Wasps

[#1]

Its quite late in the season for wasps now, but I haven't seen many this year.

Annoyingly, I was ready for them this year with a couple on entry/no exit traps. But I haven't needed to use them.

Yet...

[#2]

And you're complaing because? 

I hate them, things that fly around and sting you. Then annoy you into thinking they're gone and come back .. so at least they have a sense of humour.

[#3]

I never seem to get bothered by them - apparently they prefer sweet things

I do remember my first week in grammar school back in 1971 when the classroom appeared to be plagued with them. Rulers were always at the ready

[#4]

@Alex, Definitely not complaining, only commenting on the lack of them this year, thankfully.

Like Mav I'm not really bothered by them, at least early in their season, but as it gets colder their food supply dries up, that's when they can get aggressive and unpredictable.

What annoys me more is people who wave their hands at them if they're being buzzed, usually the wasps are only inspecting and will soon fly away. But the hand wavers can get their backs up and they will attack, very often not at the one who is doing the waving more likely at an innocent bystander.

But, I quite like bumblebees, they can be very friendly and seem to like humans as well. I have regularly had one sit on my hand in the garden, quite calmly showing no fear whatsoever.

[#5]

Wasp grubs are a brilliant bait, but I too have noticed a marked decline the wasp population (or have I just answered the reason why).  

[#6]

Wasps are generally carnivorous, eating insects, caterpillars, etc, not directly but via the grubs. They also take food back to their nests and feed the grubs. The grubs exude a sweet fluid to "reward" the feeder wasp adults. In the autumn, the queen wasp slows down egg laying in preparation for the Winter. As a consequence there are fewer grubs and less sweet stuff for the adult wasps. They start to look for other sources of sweet stuff, usually around humans. It is why you tend to get more wasp problems at this time of the years.

[#7]

Not seen many this year either but last year they were everywhere.

I wonder if is something to do with the way nature balances things ?

[#8]

Good for picnics maybe, but like insects in general, they're pollinators and in decline.

[#9]

I have not seen many wasps either up here in Yorkshire. The wasps tend to build their nests in our garden hut, but none have appeared this year at all. We have though, had lots of really tiny flies appearing inside the house. We have had a fine magnetic mesh up at the back door all summer, which has worked well to keep the bigger insects out, yet allow the back door to remain open. Now the weather has cooled, we have these really tiny flies.