Jake wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:25:28 +0100, "mark"
wrote:

stuff snipped to avoid repetition.

Last year plum picking was hazardous as it seemed like every third
one had a wasp chomping away inside, and also not good for profits
as selling the plums at the gate paid for the heated propagator and
other bits and pieces.

I shall make six bottle traps and hopefully have less wasps and more
plums.


mark

Wasps, being opportunists, go for damaged fruit so if they're chomping
inside then some damage to the outside let them in. As I've only got
dwarf trees, it's easy for me to check the fruits regularly and remove
any that show signs of damage. I also religiously pick up windfalls
(which are usually bruised and the bruise offers a way in) and pile
some up out of the way where any and all wildlife can get its fill
without bothering me. This approach also encourages thrushes and
blackbirds to peck away at stuff I don't want and they tend to leave
my trees alone.

I wonder has anyone else tried those "waspinator" things that are
supposed to look like wasps nests and deter other wasps? Seems a bit
daft to me to hang up some grey ball and assume it'll fool the
buggers.


Wasps have a serious image problem, don't they?
No-one is bothered when they are out and about earlier in the year (you
don't see them much then) gathering up caterpillars from your fruit & veg to
feed their larvae, but the moment they are on ripe fruit later in the year,
drunk as **** and likely to sting you, it's all "let's set a trap and kill
them"
Tina