[Nigel Bolton]

Rather O/T, but just disturbed my first wasp nest of the year whilst clearing a patch of tangled vegetation. Wasp numbers seem to be low this year. I wonder whether the frosty weather in January, along with lack of snow killed many of the hibernating queens.

N.

[John Mason]

Certainly a strong correlation between hard/mild winters and low/high wasp numbers over here - maybe more of a rural thing as there are less centrally heated hibernating spots for them?

Got a nest in the veg garden, in an out-of-the-way spot. Leaving them be as they're great pest-controllers!

Cheers - John 

 

[markh]

Also very few ladybirds/lots greenfly (food chain related?). We get these nature/bug quirks every year & therefore not o/t Nigel but assume strongly weather related.
M

[doctormog]

Not seen any wasps yet but our garden's flowers have attracted an anomalously high number of bees so far this year. They're fascinating to watch (but tricky to photograph!)

[louise79]

i havnt seen any wasps either this year and i dread when i do start seeing them, im completly terrified, so bad that when my son was a baby i left him in the middle of the road in his pram when one flew around me, i am so scared of them i had to go and see a psychologist, and it didnt work :( im still scared!!!

last year there didnt seem to be a lot of wasps either, at least no where near as much as the year before, so for my own selfish reasons im hoping that maybe numbers are on the decline (i know a lot of ppl wont be to happy to hear me say that) but i think there may be something in the suggestion that harsh winters have a lot to do with it, could there be any other reasons?

there are plenty of bumblebees though, i counted over 30 yesterday when i was sitting in my garden, its funny, i quite like bumblebees, they are cute and the fact they stay away from you is great :)

[Blownaway]

Agree with other posters on here - no wasps sighted at all yet but absolutely hordes of bee's and quite a few different varieties as well - may just be noticing it more but don't recall seeing more than one or two species previously in this area.

[Dave W]

Nor have I, I dont think.. maybe 1/2.. def seem low this year

[Duncan Railton]

I too have seen many many bumble bees, but so far ONE wasp.

[scrapemedic]

One wasp, quite a few bees and surprisingly a number of ladybirds, (the bigger variety). Thinking that their numbers might swell as there certainly seems to be enough aphids out there for them to eat.

[Lightning Hunter]

I've seen a few wasps, a few 'bumble bees' and a few honey bees etc - not noticed anything unusual tbh.

[Peter H]

I've seen good numbers of bumble bees and I just wonder if the general decimation of honey bee numbers, by a variety of linked maladies, might have left bumble bees with an easier life finding nectar and pollen this year.

Wasps generally mind their own business (at least until nest breakup begins later in the late summer/autumn) but, of course, if something tries to destroy their home they'll defend it and likewise they'll defend themselves - I both cases it's hard to blame them imo.

[PaulKn]

Not seen many wasps either, although in my experience it's usually a little later on in the summer when they become more prolific.

[nick finnis]

Is a bit early for wasps, they tend to be most active in late summer/early autumn I thought. I agree that they are great garden pest controlers, many people think they are pointless, but they do kill aphids and such like which are the bane of gardeners. I have seen plenty of ladybirds of varying colours though, they also kill garden pests.

[Pete Roberts]

A couple of weeks ago one of the little b*****s flew in through the window and stole into my bed. Then proceeded to show its thanks by stinging me - it paid the ultimate penalty so there's one less now.

Pete

[EllyTech]

Pete, it is really tempting to make a joke about .... but no! lol. You poor thing! ... and poor wasp.

Apart from the 'strange' creature that visited me a while ago, I've not seen a wasp so far this year..

[Nigel Bolton]

Tis true, stacks of bumble bees this year, good as I thought they were on their way out with some odd virus that was wiping out many bee species.

No ladybirds yet, in fact I have not seen any for some years now.

It is surprising how insects seem to boom-bust. Just from memory

1973 year of the ants.

1976, year of the ladybirds.

1979, year of the green fly.

1981, year of the thunder bugs

1990, year of the wasp,

1995, Another year of the wasp - in fact this year, they were absolutely endemic along the south coast.

This year seems to be year of the mosquito. I hope none are Anopheles.

N.

[John Mason]

1995 - Ladybird-invasion too. Late August they were at Aberystwyth in their tens of thousands. Children were freaked-out with them crawling in their hair. Roads ran red with the squished ones.

Cheers - John 

[Howard Kirby]

Yes a huge amount of greenfly this year.

[John W]

I came across this on the 4th. I assume they're wasps ?? To get the Kb <100 I had to reduce quality to 12 ,the original is much better.