Year of the wasps....what is going on?

[Zary's-Mustache]

I have never seen this much wasps in Calgary in my life.

We can't even go to any park because of the amount of wasps attacking us.

Why so different this year?

[fotze2]

Climate emergency!!

……thread derailed.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by fotze2

Climate emergency!!

……thread derailed.

Why derail? 100% it's because of the unusual hot weather.

[PaperBagger'14]

https://ucalgary.ca/news/everybody-w...he%20explains.

Coles Notes: Spring wet summer hot.

[Zary's-Mustache]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Why derail? 100% it's because of the unusual hot weather.

Nope, because of Nenshi and Gondek.....

He was obviously joking.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

I can't count how many home-brew Instagram shorts extoll the virtues of apple cider vinegar / water in a 50/50 mix and a few drops of diswashing soap to catch wasps and fruit flies I've come across.

Except it never works. Plastic IV bag with chemical attractant from Crappy Tire is the only thing I've seen remotely work.

[MoneyGuy]

It’s not just Calgary; it’s everywhere. I have a prolific apple tree and sit on my deck peeling and coring. They swarm me, which I can handle because I know if I don’t bother them they don’t sting me. I even had one land on my lip. They’re still an annoyance and they’re absolutely everywhere.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

I can't count how many home-brew Instagram shorts extoll the virtues of apple cider vinegar / water in a 50/50 mix and a few drops of diswashing soap to catch wasps and fruit flies I've come across.

Except it never works. Plastic IV bag with chemical attractant from Crappy Tire is the only thing I've seen remotely work.

I used raspberry jam and it worked perfectly in a 2L bottle with the top cut and put back upside down.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

I used raspberry jam and it worked perfectly in a 2L bottle with the top cut and put back upside down.

[Timbo]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

I can't count how many home-brew Instagram shorts extoll the virtues of apple cider vinegar / water in a 50/50 mix and a few drops of diswashing soap to catch wasps and fruit flies I've come across.

Except it never works. Plastic IV bag with chemical attractant from Crappy Tire is the only thing I've seen remotely work.

You forgot sugar. We use this and within minutes there are wasps stuck in the liquid. An hour later it is almost too full to get anymore wasps as the whole surface is dead wasps.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Timbo

You forgot sugar. We use this and within minutes there are wasps stuck in the liquid. An hour later it is almost too full to get anymore wasps as the whole surface is dead wasps.

So now it's big sugar. First they cause the obesity epidemic and now try to redeem themselves with this climate emergency help.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by chemgear

So now it's big sugar. First they cause the obesity epidemic and now try to redeem themselves with this climate emergency help.

If I had my way I’d be diggin a hole to put all the wasps in.

Noticed mosquitoes not so bad this year.

[firebug]

Was stung for the first time in over 30 years a few moments ago. I was sitting still in the shade and the sucker got me on the side of my neck.

They are certainly more aggressive this year.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by firebug

Was stung for the first time in over 30 years a few moments ago. I was sitting still in the shade and the sucker got me on the side of my neck.

They are certainly more aggressive this year.

Username checks out.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

It’s not just Calgary; it’s everywhere. I have a prolific apple tree and sit on my deck peeling and coring. They swarm me, which I can handle because I know if I don’t bother them they don’t sting me. I even had one land on my lip. They’re still an annoyance and they’re absolutely everywhere.

Not sure why but it doesn't seem to be a problem here in High River. I just got home from a Bandstand concert in George Lane park this afternoon and saw little if any. That despite the ladies auxiliary hospital BBQing burgers and hot dogs. The same goes for my deck where I can sit and or BBQ and not have to swat them away. Just weird

[Buff]

I was stung for the first time in my life, just a couple months shy of my 49th birthday. There goes that streak. I'll never live long enough to beat it. Now what to live for.

Seriously though. I was just standing talking to someone and my hand was in my pocket. He watched the wasp just non-chalantly land on my wrist and then that son-of-a-bitch stung me. My arm was still and I wasn't even threatening it. My wrist was sore for two days but I hardly had any swelling. It looked more like a mini welt. That same guy I was talking to was stung a week later and his entire hand swelled up something fierce... it looked like a rubber glove had been inflated.

One thing I have learned and I'm not sure if this is a myth spread on social media or true... When you kill a wasp it leaves behind a scent that attracts other wasps to come to the area and they essentially are out for vengeance.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by fotze2

If I had my way I’d be diggin a hole to put all the wasps in.

Noticed mosquitoes not so bad this year.

Underrated post

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Buff

I was stung for the first time in my life, just a couple months shy of my 49th birthday. There goes that streak. I'll never live long enough to beat it. Now what to live for.

Seriously though. I was just standing talking to someone and my hand was in my pocket. He watched the wasp just non-chalantly land on my wrist and then that son-of-a-bitch stung me. My arm was still and I wasn't even threatening it. My wrist was sore for two days but I hardly had any swelling. It looked more like a mini welt. That same guy I was talking to was stung a week later and his entire hand swelled up something fierce... it looked like a rubber glove had been inflated.

One thing I have learned and I'm not sure if this is a myth spread on social media or true... When you kill a wasp it leaves behind a scent that attracts other wasps to come to the area and they essentially are out for vengeance.

It's not a myth

In studying wasps, researchers found that wasps would alert others to a threat, but we didn’t know how. We now know that when injured or killed, a wasp releases pheromones that alert other wasps of a threat. This is why other wasps seem to swarm around and seek revenge when you kill a wasp. Wasps can become especially aggressive when their nest is disturbed. Although there is no science backing the concept that wasps seek revenge, it has been proven that they will rally together to protect their territory and colony.

https://fox-pest.com/blog/5-fascinating-wasp-facts/

[Brendone]

Originally Posted by Dion

Not sure why but it doesn't seem to be a problem here in High River. I just got home from a Bandstand concert in George Lane park this afternoon and saw little if any. That despite the ladies auxiliary hospital BBQing burgers and hot dogs. The same goes for my deck where I can sit and or BBQ and not have to swat them away. Just weird

Are wasps repelled by the overpowering stench of cow ####?

[Mathgod]

I use a home made trap just like this; it's been working fairly well.



I also recommend putting pieces of ripe/overripe fruit into the trap.