My Willow tree is swarming with wasps. I can't really see why they're
there, and what they're doing. The willow is covered in black aphids but
the wasps don't seem interested in them. The wasps just land on the
leaves, walk about a bit, then fly off. What's so attractive about willow
for wasps?

On Sat, 07 Aug 2004 11:12:46 +0100, Dougie Nisbet
wrote:

My Willow tree is swarming with wasps. I can't really see why they're
there, and what they're doing. The willow is covered in black aphids but
the wasps don't seem interested in them. The wasps just land on the
leaves, walk about a bit, then fly off. What's so attractive about willow
for wasps?


Aphids exude a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew - I expect the
wasps are attracted to it in the same way as they're attracted to the
traditional wasp trap...jam and water in a jar.

A decent spot of rain should go some way to resolving the problem,
such as it is.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

"Dougie Nisbet" wrote in message
news
My Willow tree is swarming with wasps. I can't really see why they're
there, and what they're doing. The willow is covered in black aphids
but
the wasps don't seem interested in them. The wasps just land on the
leaves, walk about a bit, then fly off. What's so attractive about
willow
for wasps?

*********
It could possibly be an under-cover investigation by those who have
aspirations to beat the Aussies this year and are checking out the wood,
grain quality and so on.
Please don't interfere with the activities of the bees. We need all the
help we can get.
Just think!, - it may end up with the queen bee getting a gong from the
other Queen. ( and I don't mean my friend Algernon Willie Augustus
Whifflesnook John!.)
Doug.

********

"Dougie Nisbet" wrote in message
news
My Willow tree is swarming with wasps. I can't really see why they're
there, and what they're doing. The willow is covered in black aphids
but
the wasps don't seem interested in them. The wasps just land on the
leaves, walk about a bit, then fly off. What's so attractive about
willow
for wasps?

On Sat, 07 Aug 2004 11:47:16 +0100, Stephen Howard wrote:

On Sat, 07 Aug 2004 11:12:46 +0100, Dougie Nisbet
wrote:

My Willow tree is swarming with wasps. I can't really see why they're
there, and what they're doing. The willow is covered in black aphids but
the wasps don't seem interested in them. The wasps just land on the
leaves, walk about a bit, then fly off. What's so attractive about willow
for wasps?


Aphids exude a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew - I expect the
wasps are attracted to it in the same way as they're attracted to the
traditional wasp trap...jam and water in a jar.


That was my first thought (I've seen the ants milking the greenfly on some
other plants) but I can't see any indication that this is happening. You
could be right though. I've not come across black aphids before and
they're a bit bigger than their green friends. The wasps land on the
leaves and don't seem to go near the aphids which are massed around the
stems.

On Sat, 07 Aug 2004 11:51:26 +0100, Doug. wrote:


It could possibly be an under-cover investigation by those who have
aspirations to beat the Aussies this year and are checking out the wood,
grain quality and so on.

Well they're doomed for disappointment then. My favourite passtime at the
moment is to snip of aphid infested willow stems then go and submerge them
in the pond, watching and waiting until the aphids let go and float to the
surface, where they are immediately chomped by a passing fish. Saves on
the fish food anyway. I'm currently trying to think how I could wash the
aphids of the willow (or any other shrub) and collect the soup for pouring
into the pond.

On Sat, 07 Aug 2004 11:12:46 +0100, Dougie Nisbet
wrote:

My Willow tree is swarming with wasps. I can't really see why they're
there, and what they're doing. The willow is covered in black aphids but
the wasps don't seem interested in them. The wasps just land on the
leaves, walk about a bit, then fly off. What's so attractive about willow
for wasps?

Probably giant willow aphid. There was a question about them a few
weeks ago. Much larger than your average greenfly, and they suck
through the bark rather than from the leaves. You'll probably find
loads of half drunk and stupefied wasps crawling around on the ground
underneath the tree.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

In article , Stephen Howard
writes

Aphids exude a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew - I expect the
wasps are attracted to it in the same way as they're attracted to the
traditional wasp trap...jam and water in a jar.

A decent spot of rain should go some way to resolving the problem,
such as it is.

Regards,



No it doesn't! Well not on our red oak it doesn't, the rain certainly
didn't seem to wash off the sticky honeydew. (Hence my thread about
wasps in oak tree)
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk