Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Insect Pressure

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Insect Pressure
  • Date: Wed, 30 May 2012 11:57:10 -0400

Apparently some yellowjackets are very aggressive and others aren't. The ones here don't sting unless disturbed, so long as you don't squash any.

I've read that wasps in general (I don't know how many species) may respond to the scent of squashed wasps with aggression.

We generally also treat wasps as beneficials unless the nest is located where we couldn't help disturbing it. If such a location is somewhere that can be gotten wet, I deal with it by knocking the nest down with a strong spray from a hose. They don't seem to connect the person behind the hose with the water hitting the nest, and most of the wasps will also wind up too wet to fly in any case. Repeat treatments may be necessary, as they'll often try to rebuild in the same spot; but they'll give up eventually. (A little WD40 on the spot they're trying to rebuild on can prevent the rebuilding problem, if it's somewhere you could reasonably use WD40. Other oils might work; I should try a vegetable oil to find out.)


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale




On May 30, 2012, at 10:54 AM, Barking Cat Farm wrote:

The exception here are yelliwjackets, which are very aggressive. Only OMRI approved control that I know of other than knocking the nest down (which is dicey with them due to their temperament) is to have a licensed exterminator remove them with a vacuum. 




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page