Let's hear it for the pillar killers

[hoodat]

My entire garden is riddled with digger wasp holes. They pretty much ignore humans so that's no problem and I like to watch them working away. The ones I have are slender and black with one dark orange band on the rear part of the abdomen. I looked them up and they seemed to match one that preys on spiders.
This morning I watched as one of them dragged a large catterpillar toward it's hole to feed the kiddies. It looked too big to fit but the lady managed to get it down the hole.
Anyone watching would have thought I'd lost it to see an old man hunkered down cheering on a wasp and giving it a round of applause when it got the pillar into the hole. Looks as though I have some help with the pillars this year.

 

[lesa]

I could sure use some of those wasps around here! I spent the evening plucking pillars off my walking stick bush. I am always glad no one is listening to me in the garden- saying hello to toads and apologizing to accidentally pulled veggies! Cheering on wasps and talking to toads, are things only gardeners understand!!

 

[digitS']

The yellow jackets haul off caterpillars, too. And, for the same purpose - to feed their cute, little, cherubic kids !

One year, I had a terrible problem with cabbage worms.

The next year was one of those "yellow jacket years." I was afraid to move too quickly in the garden during the warmth of the day - it was that bad. Nevertheless, I found a total of TWO cabbage worms that season. Didn't get stung, either .

Steve

 

[hoodat]

The yellow jackets haul off caterpillars, too. And, for the same purpose - to feed their cute, little, cherubic kids !

One year, I had a terrible problem with cabbage worms.

The next year was one of those "yellow jacket years." I was afraid to move too quickly in the garden during the warmth of the day - it was that bad. Nevertheless, I found a total of TWO cabbage worms that season. Didn't get stung, either .

Steve

I've started seeing a few yellow jackets in my garden also. I'm keeping an eye on them. If they take up residence here I want to know where the nest is so I can mark it and not disturb it. Disturbing yellow jackets is not a smart move. I've seen a few striped bean beetles on my limas but I've also seen yellow jackets there. I'm hoping they'll clean up the problem for me.