2024 wasps

[DIDO.1 22,444]

Any one had any yet? 

I did 37 in June last year....not had 1 yet this month. 

[Ratmanwan3 86]

Only one. Looks like it's going to be very poor this year.

[DIDO.1 22,444]

I was looking forward to a few wasps as a change from contract work. I'd even arranged someone to help cover my contracts over the summer. They might just be late starting.

Bee calls have been almost non existent. I've also noticed that I've not seen a single butterfly this year

[OldPhil 5,654]

"Times , they are a' changing ".....

 

Edited June 18 by OldPhil

[The one 8,456]

Not even seen one trying to eat the meat in the ferret hutches maybe too wet for them ?>

[comanche 2,902]

Not much to report here either .A couple of starter ping pong balls  ,two small nests with first generation workers , and a Queen hornet whose ambitions for a nest in a rotten railway sleeper were nipped in the bud .

Last year was weird too . A late start ,then manic nest activity( l trashed my record for nests done in a day several times ) then a very quick cut off to the season.  Yet despite the number of nests there didn't  seem to be many wasps out and about foraging or bothering people.

I have a feeling a lot of nests failed without successfully  producing    Queens , but that just a seat of the pants observation rather than a proper scientific one.

There seems to be a lack of flies and other prey so far this year which doesn't  bode well for the jaspers either.

 

Edited June 18 by comanche

[DIDO.1 22,444]

I saw loads of queens in may. Did 3-4 little nests, then nothing. Normal number of honey bee calls. 1 lot of bumblebees in a bird box and probably only 5-6 other bee calls. A few years ago I was getting 30-50 calls a day for tree bees

[talpa 55]

We are the same here, just done a few golf ball and now orange side nests. I’m seeing them about chewing on wooden posts and doors but not getting calls. Just been doing a few 2nd quarter efk catch tray counts on big sites this week and hardly any wasp queens in trays. I am seeing and hearing as many Hornet queens about as wasps, I even have 2 separate nests starting on either slope of the gable of my house. Perhaps they are better at coping with the poor weather being bigger and usually a little later getting going?

My other thought is due to the poor weather people just haven’t been spending time in their gardens or outside in general so haven’t been in a position to see what little nest traffic is about at the beginning of the season. There’s hope yet.

Get yourselves in a position where they are a nice bonus to do a few nests each week - contracts are king, boring a lot of the time but the stability takes the stress and worry out of it.

[pesky1972 5,204]

Usually by now there’ll be plenty wasps making a nuisance of themselves. Hardly seen a one.

[Chaff 3,562]

I managed to disturb what I think were European wasps about the size of hornets couple of us got stung but wasn't that uncomfortable tbh.

Mate reckoned they needed to be reported for some reason.

 

 

[forest of dean redneck 11,510]

I seen somewhere that hardly any wasps have been seen this year something to do with the weather or temp from winter or earlier part of year I can’t remember ? 
I have seen couple of queens early this year and lately a couple of small wasps and that’s it. 
Also people have said there’s a noticeable lack of flying insects this year.

[comanche 2,902]

On 12/08/2024 at 21:04, forest of dean redneck said:

I seen somewhere that hardly any wasps have been seen this year something to do with the weather or temp from winter or earlier part of year I can’t remember ? 
I have seen couple of queens early this year and lately a couple of small wasps and that’s it. 
Also people have said there’s a noticeable lack of flying insects this year.

I'm having a comfortably busy wasp season. The last few Mondays and Tuesdays have been 13 hour days at them ,probably because my regular customers are thoughtful enough not to call at weekends except in emergencies . 

 Hornets seem to be as normal regarding timing and numbers but wasps seem to be two months behind.  Done an unusually high number of Median wasps this year. 

From my old invoice books l reckon there is a cycle; every 5-7 years is a bumper year ,often followed by a bad year and a few average ones.

But yeah things are a bit sad in the insect world. There aren't even many flies about .

 

[lurchers 2,747]

Had my 1st 1 last week mate I don’t know what’s happened this year with them.But plenty of bedbug call-outs and rats

[j j m 6,533]

not seen any yet

[tatsblisters 9,371]

30 minutes ago, j j m said:

not seen any yet

Same hear mate not seen a oner . Not that many butterfly's either especially the woodland brown that i used to see regularly in the woods near me fluttering about in the rays of sun coming through the canopy in the wood's.