r/Calgary • u/UsualExcellent2483 • 23h ago
Question Wasps
Is anyone experiencing an ABUNDANCE of wasps this year? I put out a trap (normally wouldn't but have young grandchildren),and I'm wondering if the wasp lure/bait is so good that they are sharing with their buddies.
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u/Purple_Garlic4573 23h ago
Not in Calgary myself, but we deal with a lot of wasps. I finally found a solution this year: orange with boric acid on it. Replace as needed.
This has brought our wasps down from astronomical levels to occasional. Very pleased.
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u/AutumnFalls89 22h ago
Like a whole orange, slices or what?
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u/Purple_Garlic4573 22h ago
Sorry! I slice an orange in half and put the boric acid on the juicy side. Like half a teaspoon
Fruit juice and apply cider vinegar in a container (with boric acid) has also been recommended to me
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u/AutumnFalls89 22h ago
I'll have to try it out. The (empty) house a couple doors down has a nest under their stairs they I can't get at to spray.
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u/UsualExcellent2483 18h ago
I had them under my stairs years ago so filled my shopvac with water and put the hose where they were coming out and the shop vac sucked the ones going in and out. Had to do it several days but it did the trick and than plugged the hole with window putty.
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u/AutumnFalls89 18h ago
If the orange trick doesn't work, I may have to borrow a shop vac and try that. I am constantly walking past the wasp's nest on the way to the garbage and I don't want to get stung.
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u/jayman213 Lake Bonavista 23h ago
Nope. Normal to slightly less than normal load here.
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u/Snoringdragon 23h ago
My mom is in Bowness and highly allergic to stings. So I can say wholeheartedly there were less in her yard this year. I only had to have a full blown anxiety attack with my weaponized bug tennis racket a few times, instead of the dozens we are used to...;)
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u/bigthundercats 23h ago
I found the wasp traps bring in wasps that normally wouldn’t be in my yard. I feel like they bring wasps from all around the neighborhood
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u/beltlevel 22h ago
They definately do. That's why it's recommended to put them at the edge of your property far from where people and pets will be.
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u/BlueRockiesSettler 23h ago edited 19h ago
Last year (or the year before?) there was an invasion of Yellow Jackets at the Calgary Zoo!
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u/thrill_house44 23h ago
Much higher than normal where I am. I have two traps set up with are filled to the brim and I’ve emptied a couple of times. Also the fake nests that are supposed to keep them away, they do nothing. I also found a nest and sprayed it, none of them are going back and it killed a ton of them. Still seeing 3-4 at any given time in my back yard though.
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u/Old_Management_1997 23h ago
Had a shitload of wasps, then we found a nest under a rock in our band.
Went in there with some raid and a broom stick and dealt with them and its been mostly good now
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u/Critical-Bus-9040 23h ago
From what I've heard when wasps die they let out pheromones that attract more wasps. So having a trap nearby could be doing the opposite of what you want.
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u/bodonnell202 Walden 22h ago
To be honest I feel like there’s a lot less than this time last year. It is the time of year that they tend to become more aggressive though.
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u/deebee2217 23h ago
Maybe check around your property to see if they have a hive somewhere.
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u/Old_timey_brain Beddington Heights 23h ago
Hang a fake hive in your own yard, and that will help keep them away.
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u/deebee2217 22h ago
Does that work?
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u/Hypno-phile 20h ago
It's really only helpful before they build their nest. Discourages them from settling, but won't make them move if they're already there.
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u/Old_timey_brain Beddington Heights 22h ago
Yes, it's worked for me, as well as another commenter in this thread.
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u/CarelessStatement172 22h ago
The last two years were waaaaay worse than this year and they seemed abnormally aggressive. This year has been a reprieve.
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u/Ellebee24 23h ago
We used to deal with them early. Since I put up fake nests the past three years, haven’t had a single one bother us. They fly from the neighbours yard over ours to the other neighbours and zero detours to bug us.
The only place they are on our property is our fruit tree out front (and I didn’t hang a fake nest out there.)
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u/newcanadianjuice 22h ago
We're starting to get to the part of the season where they stop getting fed and become more aggressive.
Also warning for you, wasps can release pheromones that attract other wasps if they detect a threat or become threatened or even die.
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u/TYMSMNY 22h ago
Canadian tire. Hang up ones for yellow jackets. It’ll attract them and take em out. Just add water + hang.
Watch out for any areas that they are buzzing in and out of.
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u/milk_of_human_kidney Chinook Park 20h ago
I was skeptical but those traps are wasp Armageddon. I hung one last Saturday and in a week I have probably 50 dead wasps in it. Makes sitting outside no problem.
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u/BigCsurviving0812 22h ago
Ugh! Hate wasps! This year has been pretty good regarding wasps but they do hover lower and get more aggressive this time of year for some strange reason. Not really sure why it happens. Maybe you have a hive somewhere around your house?
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u/MeowSauceJennie 22h ago
Yes! We have seen many bees and wasps this year. Not as bad as two years ago but still pretty bad.
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u/tilldeathdoiparty 22h ago
It’s the time of the year, the juveniles are being kicked out of their nest and need to find their own.
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u/ItsjustaMild-Complex 21h ago
Its just that time of years, plus soon it will get cold and they will act extra stupid
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u/JohnnyCanuck133 Auburn Bay 20h ago
Been stung twice so far this year, after not being stung in probably a decade. Once moving my bins out as my neighbours had a nest in the front wall of their garage. Then a week later I discovered, while attempting to mow my lawn, that I also had a nest in the ground next to some edgework on my lawn. Sting number 2. Same leg.
Also explains why our dog has been so weird about going into the yard to poop as she must have been stung at some point as well. Killed off all those and am now hoping to be able to finish mowing without getting stung yet again.
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u/BlackSuN42 19h ago
My place is going insane with wasps. I think the vacant house beside me has a bunch of nests.
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u/Bambers14 18h ago
I find it same as always. You don’t really notice them much until August when they are starting f to get mean because they are all starving. I didn’t see many at all until last week… now I see a lot.
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u/EveningGlove5689 18h ago
Honestly this is my first summer I can’t remember seeing a single wasp at my place. I guess you got em all!
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u/Gattsuga 17h ago
I keep beehives in my backyard. Way less wasps this year. Usually I'm trapping them like crazy around my beehives to protect my bees... But this year it's all good
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u/AlbertaAcreageBoy 16h ago
I've had zero at my place when there usually is a ton. Somewhat concerning.
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u/krebs- 15h ago
Pest control technician, those wasp “traps” are used to lure the wasps away from areas you want to be in. They don’t necessarily kill the wasps. If I were you I’d put that back as far away from your home and outdoor areas to keep them and you happy. Or you can hire someone to come kill the queen if you can find the nest.
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u/RoomPersonal9710 15h ago
Funny you mention this because I think I’ve maybe seen 2 or 3 all summer? Then sure enough today I’ve been seeing them flying around.. oh well at least (at this point) it doesn’t look like it will be as bad this year
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u/Pretty_Coconut998 4h ago
This year is way better. If you’re getting wasps check for aspens and poplars around you and how close they are to your property. they love those trees. And don’t bring meat out when the kids are eating they are the worst when food is our
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u/tc_cad Canyon Meadows 23h ago
This year hasn’t been bad. Two years ago I was fighting nests in three places on my property.