They have not started yet on my peaches. How do commercial growers cope?
Is there anything that can be done to protect fruit from the blighters?

just a general point (and likely a contentious one at that): but i've never
come across a good reason for destroying wasps' nests. it's always seemed
to me like killing all the lions on the plain. they're important predators,
and you need to be somewhat witless to come to any harm around them.

i also find it hardly credible that they have taken *all* your apples ...
unless the tree is very small, that is. if you really want to defend your
crops, then any number of physical (and chemical) deterrents are readily
available.

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Please do not reply by Email, as all
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"atwifa" wrote in message
...

if you really want to defend your
crops, then any number of physical (and chemical) deterrents are readily
available.

speaking of deterrents, are there any good ones that don't involve using
chemicals?

"Bigus" wrote in message
...
"atwifa" wrote in message
...

if you really want to defend your
crops, then any number of physical (and chemical) deterrents are
readily
available.

speaking of deterrents, are there any good ones that don't involve
using
chemicals?

What is it that you want to deter?
Playing the bagpipes might deter some unwanted visitors..

Franz

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...

"Bigus" wrote in message
...
"atwifa" wrote in message
...

if you really want to defend your
crops, then any number of physical (and chemical) deterrents are
readily
available.

speaking of deterrents, are there any good ones that don't involve
using
chemicals?

What is it that you want to deter?
Playing the bagpipes might deter some unwanted visitors..

I'm not sure that would go down too well with the neighbours, but if I get
desparate I might try it ;-)

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...

"Bigus" wrote in message
...
"atwifa" wrote in message
...

if you really want to defend your
crops, then any number of physical (and chemical) deterrents are
readily
available.

speaking of deterrents, are there any good ones that don't involve
using
chemicals?

What is it that you want to deter?
Playing the bagpipes might deter some unwanted visitors..

I'm not sure that would go down too well with the neighbours, but if I get
desparate I might try it ;-)

"Bigus" wrote in message
...
"atwifa" wrote in message
...

if you really want to defend your
crops, then any number of physical (and chemical) deterrents are
readily
available.

speaking of deterrents, are there any good ones that don't involve
using
chemicals?

What is it that you want to deter?
Playing the bagpipes might deter some unwanted visitors..

Franz

atwifa wrote:

They have not started yet on my peaches. How do commercial growers cope?
Is there anything that can be done to protect fruit from the blighters?

just a general point (and likely a contentious one at that): but i've never
come across a good reason for destroying wasps' nests. it's always seemed
to me like killing all the lions on the plain. they're important predators,
and you need to be somewhat witless to come to any harm around them.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You reckon so? You're lucky. I've been stung without deliberate
provocation on a couple of occasions. Once when our dog was stung,
jumped sideways, and knocked me over near the nest (talk about bad
luck). Most recently when a wasp that crawled under my shirt collar
without my noticing took offence at the constriction when I moved.
Within ten minutes I was white and shaking so badly I had to sit down.
I'm not allergic to many things, but if I'm ever stung again I'm heading
straight for A&E. I tolerate -- just -- individual wasps in the garden,
but show no mercy to queens hunting for nest sites. A wasp in the house
is a dead wasp.

regards
sarah


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'amitiel.demon.do.uk' will soon cease to function.
My other email address will remain valid.
Think of it as evolution in action :-)

atwifa said "...just a general point (and likely a contentious one at that):
but i've never come across a good reason for destroying wasps' nests. it's
always seemed to me like killing all the lions on the plain. they're
important predators, and you need to be somewhat witless to come to any harm
around them......."

All I can say is
What a load of pretentious nonsense

If like me you are Hypersensitive to wasp stings or you are even more
unlucky to be Allergic to the stings when just one sting can be life
threatening, then you do all to remove any chance.
If you have a nest in your garden where there is no way of avoiding it .or
of getting your house full of wasps.
When it comes down to me or them then there is no choice.

They have to go

P.S. If you have a man eating Lion, then you remove that Lion and don't try
to kill all the Lions on the plain.


David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

If like me you are Hypersensitive to wasp stings or you are even more
unlucky to be Allergic to the stings when just one sting can be life
threatening, then you do all to remove any chance.
If you have a nest in your garden where there is no way of avoiding it .or
of getting your house full of wasps.
When it comes down to me or them then there is no choice.

my apologies. i had forgotten that some people are at more risk from stings
than just the brief pain and slight swelling. however, since the proportion
of allergic individuals must be relatively small, my general concern about
wiping out whole micro-environments still holds at least partially true,
surely?

which begs another question: if you (as a gardener and an allergenic) had
the power to wipe out wasps utterly ... would you do it? i'm not making
light of the situation by asking, i'm just curious.

atwife asked ".... which begs another question: if you (as a gardener and
an allergenic) had the power to wipe out wasps utterly ... would you do it?
I'm not making light of the situation by asking, I'm just curious ........"

If the wasps are not bothering me and mine then live and let live,
About 4 years ago we had a beautiful wasps nest in a large Viburnam Placatum
... it was out of the way so it stayed.
I had hoped to have the nest at the end of the year, but after 4 nights of
frost, and no sign of any wasps for 3 days I was planning to cut it down the
next morning.
All that night we had heavy rain, in the morning, just a pile of soggy pulp.

This is an interesting piece about wasps
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/...ite/wasp.shtml
--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

" This is an interesting piece about wasps
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/...ite/wasp.shtml


it is indeed, thanks. i've often watched the wasps trying to gather nectar
like many other insects do - and have concluded that they're pretty useless
at it. no wonder they resort to predating on flies and so forth. in which
vein, their skill at killing is of a higher calibre altogether than their
efforts at vegetarianism ... many a time i've seen a wasp take a bluebottle
midair. quite a sight; can't be easy to time the attack correctly. course
it's all instinct i know - but i'm still impressed ;-)

David Hill muttered:

If the wasps are not bothering me and mine then live and let live,
About 4 years ago we had a beautiful wasps nest in a large Viburnam Placatum
.. it was out of the way so it stayed.

We have a wasp nest under the thatch of the porch, I decided to let it be
and so far have had virtually no houseflies in the house, whereas in
previous years they'd be everywhere... together with the almost plague
proportions of hover flies that have eaten all the aphids, they've done a
great job.

Following up to Magwitch

We have a wasp nest under the thatch of the porch, I decided to let it be
and so far have had virtually no houseflies in the house,

how did you get on eating in the garden?
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

"atwifa" wrote in message
...

my apologies. i had forgotten that some people are at more risk from
stings
than just the brief pain and slight swelling. however, since the
proportion
of allergic individuals must be relatively small, my general concern about
wiping out whole micro-environments still holds at least partially true,
surely?

which begs another question: if you (as a gardener and an allergenic) had
the power to wipe out wasps utterly ... would you do it? i'm not making
light of the situation by asking, i'm just curious.

I am both gardner and possibly allergenic - my mother is, and I usually get
what she gets in spades. I have never been stung and I don't plan to try. I
have had a severe allergic reaction to another allergen and ended up in the
a&e so - don't want to test it out !

Would I wipe out wasps totally ? Of course not. If there is one in the house
I shoo it out or kill it if it won't go, if I am alone, or run like hell if
I am accompanied and let someone else deal with it.
Outside I avoid wasps and places where they might be. I have been chased out
of the garden (well, I have decided to come indoors, really, rather than
being physically chased) many times.

A hornet came down my chimney earlier this year and I was terrified because
I'd never seen one before and didn't know they're not the evil aggressive
things they are made out to be. But I recognise the place all creatures have
in the world and just stay away from the ones that might cause me harm. But
if I was locked in a room with a wasp I'd kill it, or if there was a nest in
my garden I would get it removed pronto. No sense in putting yourself at
risk unnecessarily. An allergic person removing their immediate wasp threats
is just another part of the natural order of things really - but that isn't
the same as wiping out the whole species.


Just in case you wanted replies from all allergenics, not just the OP.



Rachael

Following up to atwifa

my apologies. i had forgotten that some people are at more risk from stings
than just the brief pain and slight swelling. however, since the proportion
of allergic individuals must be relatively small, my general concern about
wiping out whole micro-environments still holds at least partially true,
surely?

You don't have to be allergic if you swallow one in a drink. And
they love beer.
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap