Defense Mode

  The weather decided to give us another day of rain showers which was fine by me.  The garden, although saturated, does better with rain than drought so I do not complain.  On one of my many times of closing the windows (only to reopen minutes later), I spied something in the garden that was not to my liking.  On the pear tree located a few feet from the window, a red wasp was starting to build her nest.  While I do not mind having the critters around, this was a little too close for comfort.  The pear tree is surrounded by planter boxes containing tomatoes.  These tomatoes are just starting to ripen so my picking would disturb the wasp and possibly cause a bit of pain for me!  The wasp will have to definitely relocate.  When I went out to check the nest closer, the wasp took up the "defensive stance". She was just not happy with me being so close to her home.  I was obviously viewed as the intruder and a threat.

  Red wasps, like most wasps, are actually beneficial critters to have in the garden.  If they build their nests in spots that are not likely to put people or pets in harm's way, it is wise to leave them be.  They feed their larvae a good many garden pests.  If, in cases like the one today, the nest is built in a place not desired, it is pertinent to remove the entire thing.  This is best done at night since the wasps are diurnal. They all return to the nest at night giving us a better chance of removal if the entire colony is to be exterminated.  A good spray of wasp spray or (believe it or not) brake cleaner can wipe out the critters in an instant.  It is important to be observant, though, and make sure you have a clear getaway path just in case you miss!  These critters can give a nasty sting and given the size of the nest, they can do major damage!  

  Since the rains of today are lingering into this evening, Son and I will attempt the removal of this nest tomorrow.  If there is only the one wasp (or even just a few), it should be a very simple process. I am believing this to be the case since the nest only has a few cells built as of yet. Hopefully, we can get rid of them with no stings!  Wish us luck!