Among the various orchard pests, there are some generic and potentially harmful to human health, namely wasps and bumblebees. The damage that these insects create in the orchard is the tearing of the fruit, as they seek the sugars contained in the pulp, while we, as we know, can be bitten with discomfort and, in particular, with greater risks in people with allergies. .
Especially those who have fruit plants in the garden run the risk of ruining the possibility of living peacefully in the space. However, with a few precautions, their presence can be limited so that you can live with them without having to use chemical pesticides.
Wasps and bumblebees are insects of the order Hymenoptera, to which bees also belong, and have a social organization like them, although less evolved. However, it is necessary to know how to recognize bees and protect them, since they are very important pollinating agents, useful both for fruit plants and for the environment in general.
Contents [Ocultar]
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Recognize wasps and hornets
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nesting and behavior
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Wasp damage in the orchard
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Reduce the presence of wasps and hornets
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food traps
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Wasp and hornet bait
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The renewal of the bait
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Sphere Traps: Summer Remedy
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Contents
Recognize wasps and hornets
the common wasp and the german wasp they are the two most common wasp species in Europe. Both have a yellow and black body, with signs that vary from one to the other, yellow legs and dimensions that in the workers vary between 12 and 17 mm, while in the queens they reach 2.5cm.
In addition to the common wasp, there is also the » social wasp ” Is wasp measuring 1.25 cm (worker) and 1.9 cm (queen), it has two pairs of wings and alternating yellow and black stripes. Despite the similar color, it is easy to distinguish wasps from bees because the latter have a slightly duller body than the former and the yellow on their bodies is darker.
the hornet (Vespa crabro) belongs to the same family of wasps but is much larger and for this reason it is also called “giant wasp”. The female body can reach a length of 5 cm, while males and workers stop at 2-2.5 cm.
Nesting and behavior
Wasps can nest in natural environments such as tree wires and bushes, but they also tend to take advantage of domestic environments such as roofs, gutters and various cavities, provided they are protected environments with easy exits. Wasps do not produce honey like bees and live by feeding on the meat of other insects and sweet substances. When they perceive a threat, these insects use their sting as a defense weapon, stinging and emitting poison. Unlike bees, which sacrifice themselves to sting and then attack as a last resort, wasps and bumblebees can attack more than once.
Many people are allergic to the venom of wasps and hornets, which makes their stings potentially dangerous. In the presence of these insects, it is better to remain calm and avoid waving your arms in an attempt to drive them away, as this very gesture could attract their bites.
Wasp nests are quite large, spherical in shape and capable of spawning 300-500 and more individuals. It is best not to approach these nests, once identified, as bumblebees may attack even without an explicit threat, being attracted by human sweat.
Wasp damage in the orchard
The damage that wasps and bumblebees cause in the orchard is related to their search for sweet substances, so they eat fruit that is heading towards ripening, creating lacerations and exposing it to rotting and attack by secondary pests. Many species are affected, especially those that produce fruits with a high sugar content: figs, pears, vines, peaches and others.
Reduce the presence of wasps and hornets
Naturally, there are many insecticides capable of eradicating the populations of these insects, but in order not to pollute the environment and not to risk killing even useful insects, it is necessary to resort to other, more ecological methods. The advice is to focus on wasp prevention.
food traps
One of the best ways to limit the development of wasps and bumblebees is to set up food traps, such as tap traps. These bio-traps update an old peasant method of bait trapping, consisting of special yellow plastic hooks suspended from the foliage of fruit plants with attached bottles filled with bait.
For the traps to be really effective, it is very important to place them at the end of winter, at the latest at the beginning of spring, and not to wait until the plants already have the fruits to be protected. In fact, being timely prevents the reproduction of these insects and greatly reduces the number of queens in the environment, and therefore nesting. By reducing their reproduction rate thanks to this synchronization, we see a significant decrease in their populations year after year: by considering a number of 300 to 500 individuals generated by a queen (but often even more) we understand how important it is to prevent this queen from breeding.
In March, when the fruit trees still have no leaves, the yellow color of the trap stands out clearly and attracts the few wasps already in circulation. Placing the traps when the fruits are now developing on the plants or even when they are ripe is not effective because although many bumblebees and wasps will find themselves in the traps attracted by the bait, since many will continue to feed fruit, with considerable damage.