SACK TIME!!!
By Montana Grant

Posted: May 28, 2020

Wasps, hornets, and garden pests can be a real nuisance. Paper Wasps can be a real pain. Their sting can bring on anaphylactic shock, or at the very least hurt like hell. Other wasps may be more aggressive but do not share as strong of a venom.

Once nests, or paper wasp sacks are established, the outcome can be painful. Chemicals, fire, or destruction can cause a swarm, that will become a danger to critters and people in proximity. If you have an established Paper Wasp nest, consider bagging it at night using a bit of smoke. Cut the branch, if possible and transport the nest to a better, and more remote location. Reestablish the nest if possible. Wasps are resting and calmer in the dark.

Paper Wasps are excellent pollinators and feast on harmful garden insects. Caterpillars, flies, and beetles are all on the menu. Wasps will often battle hornets. They also prefer to avoid other wasps. Colonies tend to keep their distance from one another.

Usually their sack like nests are under cover or shelter. Paper wasps are generally passive until provoked or threatened. North America has 22 species of Paper Wasps. They chew plants and mix the mastic with saliva to build their waterproof sack shaped nests. Inside is filled with a honeycomb of chambers for eggs. Honey is not usually harvested from Paper Wasp nests.

The best protection is prevention. Try this trick to prevent Paper Wasps, other hornets and wasps, and flies from being near your home, sheds, barns, hunting stands, waterfowl blinds, and shelters. Use large brown paper bags filled with other bags or newspaper. Twist the top to make a handle or holdfast. Secure this Paper Wasp decoy nest in the areas you want to protect. Keep them out of the weather and near ceilings.

Maybe some Sack Time can help your wasp and hornet problem. Wasps do not like hornets, and one Paper Wasp colony tend to avoid others.

BEE SAFE!

Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant, find him beehaving at www.monntanagrant.com.

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