Why are there wasps hanging around this bush?

SkylineObsession

SkylineObsession

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It is really annoying as one of my fears (everyone has at least one fear remember) is that of bumble bees, wasps, honey bees, freaking huge queen bees (had one flying around the kitchen the other day so i shut all doors leading to it so it couldn't get any further into the house) and all other such things which can inflict pain.

My hedge out the back is seriously overdue for a cutting (mainly a topping as it is getting too high) but everytime i go to do it the wasps seem to be hanging around it. All they seem to do is land on a leaf, stay there for about 5-10 seconds then fly to another one. :?

Now before you say "there must be a nest in there somewhere", there isn't. Mainly because there aren't all that many wasps hanging around it (i've seen about three at the most, but one is more than enough for me).

They've been sticking around this hedge for months now no matter what the weather/season.

I've included a few pics seen as i don't know the name of the bush.
IMAG0004.jpg

IMAG0003.jpg

IMAG0002.jpg


Is there any logical reason why they love it so much? It never flowers so it can't be because of that.

Thanks in advance.

I've posted this same topic at the GTX too.
 
There are also billions of black flying earwigs (okay not earwigs, but thats what they look like) hanging around the bush too (see; two fuzzy objects in first pic). But i'm not worried about them.
 
Burn them I say. Burn them!
 
Hmm I don't think that this bush has NO flowers, they are no red roses but the normal plant needs them to repruduce itself ... Well, don't be an a** and use poison or fire.... just cut it and take away its roots after that... I don't think you can fight against the love of insects for this bush....
 
At our old home, we had evergreens. The ones with those tiny sharp prickers on it. Yet, the wasps loved to make their nest in it all the time. They only way to get rid of them was for me to dress up in my old football gear, a thick long sleeve shirt, work boots, a can of hornet spray and a tennis racket with the cover still on. I looked ridiculous but it did the job. Spray the wasps and when the fly out, hit them with the tennis racket. When the land on the ground, stomp on them. When the wasps are gone, smash the nest and throw it away. It's best to do this when it's trash day. That way you can toss out the nest before they could rebuild it.
 
MdnIte
Burn them I say. Burn them!
Click to expand...

Just go out there and spray a whole bottle of Mortein until you're sure they won't go near it. :) Then return a few days later to cut the bush.
 
I thought of doing that. With Raid though.
 
I've got a bush just outside my house where lost of wasps gather. I dread walking past it.

I sometimes get wasps and bees in the house because we have our conservatry doors open in the summer. When the come in they don't go back out again. They're so dumb! I, my brother and my Mum haven't got the nerve to kill them so my Dad does.
 
I had a Bees nest in my roof before!

One of the council guys came along, smoked them out and there was dead bees all over my garden untill we raked/sweeped them up. They all crunched when I walked over them.

Are you sure they are definetley wasps, not some sort of look-alike?
If they are there all year round, I don't know how cold it gets where you are in winter (wasps should die off in winter), they could be some sort of fly.

Best advice, aerosol and a lighter 👍
 
You do realize the wasps could be nesting in the ground, right?

A shady spot, that is protected and secure.

Take a long look at the gorund, and watch to see if there is a hole that is being used extensively.

AO
 
If you could include a close up picture of one leaf, I could probably name the bush for you.

And ExigeExcel is correct - hoverflies look very much like wasps, but they hover (which wasps cannot do) and can be found around specific bushes (like Buddleia).
 
Ow man I have the same problem here, a few days ago I came home from school, I put my bike in the shed and just when I was doing that I thought: "mmm, it's getting summer, people are already mowing there grass for their beautifull gardens" I thought I heard a mowing sound, but it were 3 FREAKIN LARGE BEES:scared: ONER OF THEM >IN< MY NECK FOR A SECOND, I think at least cause I thought I felt something there and suddenly I heard a tremendous BUZZING noise in my ear....:sick::crazy:

These bees here are getting freakin larger every year:scared::crazy:
 
You do realize the wasps could be nesting in the ground, right?

A shady spot, that is protected and secure.
Click to expand...
I forgot about that.

We did notice some small holes going into the ground before and the odd bee flying round. We don't think it was a nest because it was nearing autumn, more a hibernation spot.
 
Going out at night should prevent them from coming after you as well.
 
place i work (hotel kitchen) has a hornet nest nearby, and they seem to only come out at night in summer. about 3 inches long and very annoyed, strangely seem attracted to the lights i didnt know they went for that but most get lured into the zapper and takes ages, about 15/20 minutes filling the room with smoke and horrible burnt flesh smell. but of course some dont last long once spotted :D weapons of choice are fish slice, rolling pin, spider (the utensil not the creature) oh yeh and a blowtorch :D i tell ya its a war!!!! :mad: apparently we cant destroy the nest cos theyr protected or sumthin
 
Thank god i am not the only one who is petrifyed of wasps and bees! There's a bush right outside my bedroom where they all seem to accumulate. It's off the ground though, i think it's an ivy.
 
Oh, and another thing i hate, IS PEOPLE SAYING THAT WASPS DON'T COME OUT IN SPRING!!! I CAN ASSURE YOU, THEY DO!!!!
I was doing some jobs the other day to makey money, and i wouldn't go out in the garden because it was full of wasps and waspy like thing, oh, and bees. They're nasty.
 
we had the same plants shown above as well as evergreens at my house for years, since we moved there in 89 i believe. always had a problem with bees/wasps. no one ever got stung by one though. just last fall we had all the bushes torn out though, time for some new landscaping.

I had to cut our plants (the tops of them, lol) all the time, never had a problem with the insects bothering me. results may vary.
 
Haha, I don't mind the buggers. As long as I don't bug me they don't bug me, although when I was 5 I got stung by one and my whole arm started to swell and I needed to be rushed to emergency.
 
Wasps definitely nest in the ground. My experience as a 10 year old of stepping in one can vouch for it - on a side note, don't reccomend that method for shortcutting >_<
 
I hope they're not in the ground. :eek: This bush 'malts' quite a bit so all the ground under it is covered in dead leaves and longish grass/weeds (too lazy to keep cleaning it out because there's always so much of it) all year round.

I'll take another pic, a closer one, tomorrow. :cool:

And i'm glad we don't have Hornets in New Zealand (not that i know of anyway).
 
YAY fellow Wasp hater/ Phobias..
If anyone has ever been to Castle Combe (race track) you'll know its Hell..
So if you hate wasps and are going to Castle Combe for a day out or something,
Change your mind.
 
The bees at my school are like an inch long.About 3 to 5 came in during a test and everyone freaked out! I couldn't stop laughing :)
 
You could try bating the bees/wasps.

Mix something (house hold product, maybe bleach?) with coke and leave it outside for a day. Just don't leave it too long or let any animals near it.

P.s. this could attract even more wasps...
 
Not a bad idea, exept for the attracting more wasps. I'd love to try this out, but i've got a cat whom i love very much :dopey:
 
Well you could just keep the cat in for a day...
 
You know that bees and wasps love rotten leafs, and I hate them, the bees and wasps. It's like they know I hate them, because everytime I go outside there is at least one bee or wasp thats coming after me! :yuck: and when I open a window for a second, yeah, there they are... :crazy:
 
try to identify them, they are probably just paper wasps. relatively harmless, and if they sting you just put some ice on the spot and you'll be right. Don't be such a wuss! ;)

they will only sting if you annoy them but if you are careful you should be able to prune the hedge without getting them angry. I got stung twice on the finger by one not long ago when I was pruning a tree, I must have almost grabbed it when it was sitting on a leaf. theer were other wasps around but they didn't appear interested in me at all.

Spraying with any kind of chemical outdoors is ultimately futile, you may kill a few but they'll be back. you're more likely to poison all the good bugs that you can't see.

btw we have different wasps over here - unless it's a european wasp in whcih case call professional exterminators to remove the entire colony - but from the description they sound like paper wasps - assuming they have them over on your side of the tasman.

oh and to those who suggest wasps don't come out in spring, have a look at the poster's country of origin and think what is the main between the northen and southern hemisphere ;)
 
These are longer and slightly thinner than honey bees, are much yellower and don't appear to have any hair or whatever the honey bees have.
leaf2.jpg

leaf1.jpg

Those are the black buggy things i was reffering to.
 
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