Wasps oh my!!!

[KD_Olive]

So we have a hillside that leads to the lake in our front yard... My husband planted juniper there a few years ago, but its very slow growing so there are a lot of gaps in between the plants. Weeds are always a problem, so while the weather was still cool, I sowed California poppies in between them, hoping they'd grow quickly and help keep the weeds at bay.. Well, this isn't the case. They're still really small and weeds are taking over.. For some reason, guenia wasps LOVE the juniper (maybe because it's close to the water?) I was out weeding yesterday and almost got stung. I'm highly allergic to these little devils and now I'm scared to go back down there. How do you guys control wasps? With their nests being under the juniper, you can't see them until you're on top of them and they furiously fly out ready to attack. I just can't risk being stung and I need a way to treat the whole area. I'm at a loss here.

 

[ninnymary]

I've only had a small nest of wasp once. I used wasp spray. The good thing is that I could stand 3ft away to spray. Obviously with your large area using a can of spray won't work but perhaps you could use a sprayer. Another option is to take the junipers out since they are still small anyway and replace with something else. That would be my first choice. There are plenty of ground covers out there.

Mary

 

[Nyboy]

I agree with Mary, if your allergy can be life threatening ripe them out and replace with some thing else

 

[Larisa]

It is necessary to prepare a sweet drink. For example, an old jam with water and honey. Add a vial of poison for the Colorado potato beetle. Put in a bottle with a wide bore sawdust or straw. Pour it that the wasps are not drowned, and ate. This kills the wasps. If you take a plastic bottle with a narrow neck, then pour the liquid to a sweet or beer without poison. Then it works like a trap. The bottle should take the vertical direction. They can not get out of it. Such bottles should be renew.

 

[so lucky]

I guess I just thought those were yellow jackets, having never seen a nest with yellow and black wasps on it. We have red and/or black wasps here, that build nests in the chicken house every year.
The info on the net says the sting of a guinea wasp is much worse than that of a red wasp (which is plenty bad!) I'm wondering if that's what stung me on the finger while hiking in North Carolina a few years back. Horrible pain and swelling! @KD_Olive, if you are allergic to them, I suggest you get an exterminator to do the dirty work. Or at least borrow some bee keeping coveralls and head gear. You may have to go once to find the nests, then in late evening to spray the nests, when they are all on it.

 

[baymule]

I agree, take out the junipers and replace with something else. The junipers are attracting wasps that are life threatening to you, so that makes them not worth it.

 

[KD_Olive]

I guess I just thought those were yellow jackets, having never seen a nest with yellow and black wasps on it. We have red and/or black wasps here, that build nests in the chicken house every year.
The info on the net says the sting of a guinea wasp is much worse than that of a red wasp (which is plenty bad!) I'm wondering if that's what stung me on the finger while hiking in North Carolina a few years back. Horrible pain and swelling! @KD_Olive, if you are allergic to them, I suggest you get an exterminator to do the dirty work. Or at least borrow some bee keeping coveralls and head gear. You may have to go once to find the nests, then in late evening to spray the nests, when they are all on it.

Yes, they are terrible! They're extremely aggressive and the sting is so bad! I'm allergic to both wasps and Yellowjackets. But the Yellowjackets aren't nearly as sneaky as the wasps because they'll build a big nest in the ground and the hive will have thousands of members, making it easier to locate. Guinea wasps continue to build new nests in different areas all Summer long here in Alabama. Little devils with wings I call them.

 

[KD_Olive]

Thank you all for the replies, I will definitely try some of those traps Larisa mentioned! You guys are the best.