Getting Ahead of The Wasp

[Terry Suchma]

Getting Ahead of The Wasp

NABS recommends soaping boxes for wasps. I recommend soaping the celings and down the sides of the boxes with Ivory bar soap as soon as you can before nesting season starts. Soaping down the sides keeps them from moving to build there if they cannot build on the celing. I have already soaped part of mine and also some at a state park where I monitor 8 boxes. I monitored the trail at this park on March 2nd and when I opened one box, a wasp flew out and stung me on my finger.

If a nest has already been built, that means the wasp will not bother (as a rule) that box. Our weather report was for the middle 70's for the next several days and the wasp will be out. I plan to try to get the rest of my boxes soaped in the next day or so.

If wasp build in the boxes, it will keep the cavity nesters from building. Some people prefer to reach in and get the wasp nest, but with soaping the wasp never gets a chance to build. If the wasp has built, that has delayed any nesting activity by the birds until you can clean it out. If you monitor weekly, that means several days or even a week. The birds may build somewhere else or move on to another location.

Another advantage of soaping early before warm weather arrives is people that are allergic to the stings do not have to encounter problems that are already there.

Evelyn Cooper
Delhi, LA
Past President
Louisiana Bayou Bluebird Society
www.labayoubluebirdsociety.org