to think that wasps should be wiped out as a species as they seem to have no purpose but to annoy/sting kids?

[cancantcan]

I'm normally very ecological and all that stuff, but I confess that I would cheerfully sign the form dictating the destruction of wasps on a country wide scale. My DD has been stung twice this week by the vicious little blighters, and I've just had 3 down outside with even so much as a glass of water the damn creatures were swarming round us. Its driven us batty and spoiled the holiday! I'm afraid I see red everytime I see yellow and black................ well not literally, but I'm sure you get my drift.
I know I'm probably been totally unreasonable, and its really not the wasps' fault, but I'm just sick of the horrible things!

[TheArmadillo]

YANBU

[gingerbunny]

my ds has been stung twice. get some boots kids soltan suntan lotion with wasp repeliant in it. make sure it says wasp repeliant on it and not just insect.
i got some for ds and it works, they still come up to you, but as soon as they smell it they fly off, none have landed on him since we started using it.
i agree - death to all wasps!

[GwarchodwrPlant]

Athough I symathise with you, wasps do actually serve a great purpose, they eat up all the rotting sweet stuff that would otherwise attract all sort of other insects etc.
(at least I think they do)

Maybe there is a wasps nest nearby to where you are?

[BouncingTurtle]

YA SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NBU.

Hate the feckers. Got stung on the back of the neck last year, and DSS goes into utter hysterics every time one flies within 10 feet of them.

Evil bastards they are

[cancantcan]

oo, didnt know about that stuff, normally I find insect repellant seems to attract the bloody things.

[NinjaRain]

YANBU

We normally have to vacate the garden by mid august lastest and cannot return to it until the end of sept earliest due to wasps getting drunk on sycamore sap and falling out the sky like bombs. Someone describe them to be like drunk teenagers, unpredictable and dangerous.

This year my dad suggested a trick my grandfather used and we are now able to acces the graden without fear of a wasp down the top. Solution:

Old empty jam jar. Use a nail to put a whole in lid big enough for wasps to crawl into jar. Then either a bit of jam and water or sugar water into jar. Put lid on and leave where they are most problematic. Wasps crawl into jar and drown.

Child and animal friendly, doesnt get rid of all but enough. Cheap and simple. Will be doing this every year from now on.

[Ineedmorechocolatenow]

YANBU. There was some twunt on the radio defending them the other day. He said that they only sting if attacked.....

Bollocks.... I've been stung three times, and each time I didn't do anything to provoke it.

They are the work of the devil.

[Jux]

Wasps do pollinate some plants though. We'll need them when all the bees have died.

[Jux]

Gingerbunny - that stuff has been recalled I think. Please check at your nearest Boots; I'm sure I saw it on the wall at ours.

[NinjaRain]

Thought wasps were actually carnivores and not pollenators. Or is that what the buggrs are doing whilst they get drunk?

[cancantcan]

they eat up all the rotting sweet stuff that would otherwise attract all sort of other insects etc.

Do all the other insects involved sting aswell? If so, I'd rather have the other insects than the wasps. Sorry. I know they DO have a purpose, and its probably self inflicted since Humankind probably killed off their natural predators with insecticide, but hey, if I cant rant on here, where can I do it.

[claw3]

Wasps eat other insects, they also lay their eggs in caterpillars!

[Goblinchild]

I hate wasps, they are the only insects I kill when I can.
And for all those wittering on about the valuable ecological niche they occupy, other creatures perform the same function without being vicious, unpredictable and sadistic.

[Jux]

NinjaRain, they do pollenate some plants. At present, bees are in the process of being killed off by some ghastly disease (can't remember details) and once they're gone we will need all the other pollenators we can get or we're fcuked too.

[NinjaRain]

I think its a parasite that's killing them off. Hang on a mo...

[NinjaRain]

... nope cant find the article but found one about sky diving legs...

[sweetnitanitro]

YANBU. They are a pain in the arse. I'm allergic to them (only mildly thank god) and I'm dreading being stung because I don't think you can take antihistamines while you're BF.

I have read about various smells they don't like but there are so many old wives tales about. I don't really want to douse myself in chemical repellant because of BF my DD. Does anyone know of any essential oils or anything that might work?

[arolf]

The bee mite is called Varroa destructor, and is a huge problem worldwide at the moment. nasty little parasite.

As for wasps, I'd happily slay every single one - the only organism that deserves to live less than wasps is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, if you ask me...

[tribpot]

Apparently they are used in pest control as virtually every pest has a wasp that preys on it. But surely that makes us pests in the eyes of the bloody wasps! I hate them.

I've freaked myself out by reading to the bottom of that page.

[JennyWasAFriendOfMine]

YANBU I hate the fuckers

[arolf]

but tribpot, those are not stinging wasps, are they? I think it's only social wasps which sting - parasitic wasps on the other hand are great

[autumnscoming]

i have saw wasps actually burrowing into a dead mouse my cat killed completely freaked me out i am vegetarian hate cruelty to animals bla bla bla but wasps are evil scumbags i always think they were peodophiles in a past life

[hocuspontas]

Lol at pain in the arse because the other day I picked out a pair of black granny knickers from the washing pile to put on and was just putting my left leg in when I realised there was a wasp nestling in the gusset! I leapt a mile in the air and only then did I realise it was dead. Bastard. Scared the hell out of me.

[dogofpoints]

YABU. Wasps eat lots of pararsites. They are For Good regardless of your personal prejudice.