TO
TO SEE
TO SEE A
TO SEE A BEE OR A HORNET NEST IN THEIR YARDS.
BUT SOME OF THEM CAN
ACTUALLY BE BENEFICIAL
-- ESPECIALLY FOR OUR
GARDENS LIKE HONEY
BEES.
OTHERS -- LIKE WASPS
AND HORNETS -- NOT SO
MUCH.
OUR GARDEN MASTER JIM
DUTHIE HAS A FEW TIPS
ON HOW YOU CAN TELL
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THE TWO AND GET THE
ONES YOU DON'T WANT
TO GO AWAY FOR GOOD.
MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN
TELLING
TELLING ME THAT YOU'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN WASP AND HORNET
ACTIVITY LATELY. JUST
LAST WEEK, I WAS STUNG
BY A HORNET AS I
REACHED INTO MY
MAILBOX TO GET MY MAIL.
IN THE SPRING, THEY'RE
BUSY BUILDING NESTS SO
THEY CAN BROOD AND
RAISE THEIR YOUNG. I
JUST NOTICED THESE
SMALL HIVES ON MY
SHED, SO THEY'RE TRYING
TO SET UP THEIR HOMES
IN MY YARD. SO HERE ARE
A FEW HELPFUL TIPS ON
HOW
HOW YOU
HOW YOU CAN CONTROL THEM: FIRST, KNOW HOW TO
TELL THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN BENEFICIAL
HONEYBEES AND THE
MORE PREDATORY WASPS.
WE DON'T WANT TO
HARM THE HONEYBEES,
WHICH ARE VERY
IMPORTANT POLLINATORS.
A HONEYBEE'S BODY IS
ROUNDER AND IS MADE
UP OF THREE SEGMENTS,
COVERED WITH FUZZY
HAIR. THAT ALLOWS THE
POLLEN TO STICK TO THE
BEE'S BODY WHILE IT'S
FORAGING FOR NECTAR,
WHICH IT TAKE BACK TO
THE HIVE TO FEED ITS
YOUNG. IF YOU'RE STUNG
BY A BEE, IT WILL LIKELY
DIE AFTER STINGING YOU.
WASPS ON THE OTHER
HAND, WHICH INCLUDE
HORNETS AND YELLOW
JACKETS, ARE ALSO
POLLINATORS, BUT NOT
TO THE SAME EXTENT AS
HONEYBEES. THEIR
BODIES ARE MORE
ANGULAR
ANGULAR AND SMOOTH, WITH TWO BODY SEGMENTS AND TWO SETS
OF WINGS. THEY'RE
USUALLY MORE
AGGRESSIVE, SINCE THEY
HUNT
HUNT AND
HUNT AND FEED OFF OF OTHER INSECTS, SOMETIMES INCLUDING
HONEYBEES. WASPS CAN
CONTINUE TO STING
MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT
DYING.
THE FIRST THING YOU
NEED TO DO IS TO LOCATE
THE NEST OR THE HIVE.
WASPS OFTEN BUILD
PAPERY NESTS UNDER
EAVES AND PORCHES, AND
SOMETIMES EVEN IN
LIGHT FIXTURES AND
TREES, AND SOMETIMES
ON OR NEAR THE
GROUND. WHEN YOU DO
FIND A NEST, USE
CAUTION AND KEEP YOUR
DISTANCE.
COMMERCIAL CHEMICAL
SPRAYS WILL CERTAINLY
DO THE JOB TO KILL
WASPS AND HORNETS,
BUT THEY'RE ALSO
HARMFUL TO OTHER
BENEFICIAL INSECTS LIKE
THE HONEYBEES. SO IF
YOU WANT TO BE MORE
ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY, HERE ARE SOME
METHODS THAT WILL
DETER THE WASPS FROM
HOMESTEADING IN YOUR
GARDEN:
MAKE A FAKE NEST AND
HANG IT WHERE YOU'VE
SEEN WASPS FLYING
AROUND. IT WILL DETER
THEM FROM BUILDING
THEIR OWN NEARBY. YOU
CAN BUY A FAKE HIVE, LIKE
THIS ONE CALLED A
'WASPINATOR', OR YOU
CAN EASILY MAKE YOUR
OWN. TAKE A BROWN
PAPER LUNCH BAG,
INFLATE IT OR STUFF IT
WITH PAPER OR PLASTIC
BAGS TO GIVE IT A ROUND
SHAPE, AND THEN TIE IT
OFF. HANG IT UP AND
THE WASPS WILL THINK IT
IS ANOTHER HIVE AND
STAY AWAY.
YOU CAN ALSO MAKE
NON-LETHAL SPRAYS
FROM ESSENTIAL OILS.
PUNGENT SCENTS LIKE
PEPPERMINT, CLOVE,
PEPPERMINT, CLOVE,
LEMONGRASS OR GERANIUM OILS WORK BEST. MIX ABOUT A
TEASPOON OF THE OIL TO
ABOUT FOUR CUPS OF
WATER AND PUT IT IN A
SPRAY BOTTLE. THEN
SPRAY THE NEST TO
SATURATE IT. YOU MIGHT
HAVE TO REPEAT IT A
COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT
THE WASPS WILL
EVENTUALL LEAVE.
PLAIN OLD SOAP AND
WATER WILL ALSO DO THE
TRICK. ADD A TEASPOON
OF LIQUID DISHWASHING
SOAP TO A CUP OF WATER
AND SPRAY THAT ON THE
NEST. THE SOAPY
SOLUTION STICKS TO THE
WASPS' BODIES AND
ACTUALLY SUFFOCATES
THEM.
WASPS WILL ALSO
ABANDON A NEST IF IT
FALLS TO THE GROUND.
SO YOU CAN TRY
KNOCKING IT DOWN WITH
A STRONG STREAM OF
WATER.
SPRAYING STREAM OF
WATER ON NEST BUT STAY
ABOUT 20 FEET AWAY,
AND BE READY TO DUCK
INSIDE IN CASE THE
WASPS GET MAD AND
COME AFTER YOU. SPRAY
AT THE BASE OF THE NEST
WHERE IT ATTACHES TO
THE HOUSE. THE NEST
WILL SOFTEN AND FALL IN
A SHORT TIME.
FINALLY, WASP TRAPS ARE
A SAFE AND EFFICIENT
WAY TO GET RID OF THESE
UNWANTED PESTS. SOME
ARE AS SIMPLE AS A
PLASTIC BOTTLE, WHERE
THE INSECTS GO IN BUT
THEY CAN'T GET BACK
OUT. YOU CAN ALSO FIND
MORE ATTRACTIVE GLASS
TRAPS THAT WILL LOOK
NICE IN YOUR YARD
DCOR. THE INSECTS ARE
ATTRACTED BY
PHEREMONE DROPS, OR
YOU CAN LURE THEM
WITH JAM, SUGAR WATER,
OR EVEN CAT FOOD.
HANG THE TRAP WHERE
YOU'VE SEEN THE WASPS
BUZZING AROUND, AND
THEY'LL EVENTUALL LEAVE
THE AREA.
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO
COMPLETELY GET RID OF
THESE PESKY INSECTS, BUT
YOU CAN AT LEAST
CONTROL THEM. FOR
IDAHO'S NEWS CHANNEL
SEVEN AND 'YOU CAN
GROW IT', I'M JIM DUTHIE.
JIM SAYS ITS BEST TO WAIT
UNTIL NIGHTTIME TO
SPRAY
SPRAY OR
SPRAY OR REMOVE HIVES, WHEN IT'S COOLER AND THE WASPS ARE SETTLED
IN THEIR NESTS.
WEAR PROTECTIVE
CLOTHING, LIKE LONG
SLEEVES AND LONG
PANTS.
AND IF THE HIVE IS
PARTICULARLY LARGE AND
ACTIVE, YOU MAY WANT
TO CALL A PROFESSIONAL