How to deal with wasps in fallen fruit around pear tree?
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So we have a pear tree in our back yard that decided this was the year it was going to successfully bear fruit.
Its been extremely dry and we've been away a lot so I haven't cut the grass in about 8 weeks. I didn't even notice the tree had ripe fruit on it until yesterday. Stoked to check it out I walked over to pick some and noticed there's about ten full grown pears rotting on the ground below the tree that are just absolutely infested with wasps.
The tree is near our fence with the neighbors so I gotta deal with this fast so they don't get overwhelmed by wasps.
Does anyone know of a safe way to approach this? I broke my ribs and fucked up my back on a dirt bike last weekend so I can't exactly do anything that requires quick reactions or running away.
Any ideas would be super helpful
[EDIT] The solution was to wait until nightfall for them to return to their nest. I was able to pick up all the fruit and dispose of it with ease with maybe 5 wasps hanging around, seemingly in a stupor due to low light and cold air, instead of what looked like a few hundred during the day.
Get a can of wasp/hornet killer with a long-range spray and spray it directly on the fallen fruits where the wasps are because fuck wasps. They aren't bees, they're not worth saving. Kill them all and let God sort them out.
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They don’t want to sting you.
Maybe they don't "want" to sting anyone, but wasps can be very territorial and aggressive. Every time I've ever been stung by a wasp, I was minding my own business and just happened to piss one off by existing nearby.
I was going to say I have picked up wasp-swarmed fruit (pears, apples, plums) for 25 years and have only been stung by a wasp once – when I stepped on it barefoot. But I realised wasps are probably not the same wasps everywhere and I live on another continent than OP and maybe you.
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Get a can of wasp/hornet killer with a long-range spray and spray it directly on the fallen fruits where the wasps are because fuck wasps. They aren't bees, they're not worth saving. Kill them all and let God sort them out.
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So we have a pear tree in our back yard that decided this was the year it was going to successfully bear fruit.
Its been extremely dry and we've been away a lot so I haven't cut the grass in about 8 weeks. I didn't even notice the tree had ripe fruit on it until yesterday. Stoked to check it out I walked over to pick some and noticed there's about ten full grown pears rotting on the ground below the tree that are just absolutely infested with wasps.
The tree is near our fence with the neighbors so I gotta deal with this fast so they don't get overwhelmed by wasps.
Does anyone know of a safe way to approach this? I broke my ribs and fucked up my back on a dirt bike last weekend so I can't exactly do anything that requires quick reactions or running away.
Any ideas would be super helpful
[EDIT] The solution was to wait until nightfall for them to return to their nest. I was able to pick up all the fruit and dispose of it with ease with maybe 5 wasps hanging around, seemingly in a stupor due to low light and cold air, instead of what looked like a few hundred during the day.
Get a bucket, some gloves and just take some time to pick the fruits up?
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You could use something more enticing to attract them to another location.
Unrelated wasps seem to prefer prosciutto over any other item on a spread filled with meats and cheeses.
I would say leave the fruit where it is for now, pickup and throw out anything they are not currently devouring, and then leave something sweet or salty in another area somewhere.
Unrelated wasps seem to prefer prosciutto over any other item on a spread filled with meats and cheeses.
But so do I, this is terrible news! The prosciutto is the only part I don't want to throw out!
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Buy some wasp freeze online. Wasp Freeze II, or something containing geraniol, line Proverde. It will kill them on contact. Wasp freeze is extremely effective. I manage a pest control company and this is what we use. Proverde is all natural and safe for animals and such.
"safe for animals" and "will kill them on contact" can't both be true.
Do you manage any pest controlling ways that move instead of kill our pollinators?
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"safe for animals" and "will kill them on contact" can't both be true.
Do you manage any pest controlling ways that move instead of kill our pollinators?
In California wasps/hornets aren't protected and considered accidental pollinators but bees are protected. There are plenty of resources from the state to have them removed but can take awhile. We also keep several bee keepers numbers on hand for that situation, but again takes time. Many people are deathly allergic to wasp stings and need immediate acting options that keep them safe. That's what these are. Pest control isn't always about killing things, but there are situations where these things are required. It's not my company, it's just my job.
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Sounds like a non-problem to me. Go inside, wait a month, they'll be gone
September is, like, the nicest month weatherwise. There's gotta be a meeting place for OP and the wasps somewhere in the middle.
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In California wasps/hornets aren't protected and considered accidental pollinators but bees are protected. There are plenty of resources from the state to have them removed but can take awhile. We also keep several bee keepers numbers on hand for that situation, but again takes time. Many people are deathly allergic to wasp stings and need immediate acting options that keep them safe. That's what these are. Pest control isn't always about killing things, but there are situations where these things are required. It's not my company, it's just my job.
Wasps and hornets are pest control. Leave them alone.
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Wasps and hornets are pest control. Leave them alone.
Ok I'll leave them alone.
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So we have a pear tree in our back yard that decided this was the year it was going to successfully bear fruit.
Its been extremely dry and we've been away a lot so I haven't cut the grass in about 8 weeks. I didn't even notice the tree had ripe fruit on it until yesterday. Stoked to check it out I walked over to pick some and noticed there's about ten full grown pears rotting on the ground below the tree that are just absolutely infested with wasps.
The tree is near our fence with the neighbors so I gotta deal with this fast so they don't get overwhelmed by wasps.
Does anyone know of a safe way to approach this? I broke my ribs and fucked up my back on a dirt bike last weekend so I can't exactly do anything that requires quick reactions or running away.
Any ideas would be super helpful
[EDIT] The solution was to wait until nightfall for them to return to their nest. I was able to pick up all the fruit and dispose of it with ease with maybe 5 wasps hanging around, seemingly in a stupor due to low light and cold air, instead of what looked like a few hundred during the day.
Clean up the fruit at night.
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They don’t want to sting you.
Maybe they don't "want" to sting anyone, but wasps can be very territorial and aggressive. Every time I've ever been stung by a wasp, I was minding my own business and just happened to piss one off by existing nearby.
wrote last edited by [email protected]How they behave out and about, vs when they are defending their nest are entirely different. If you were stung while “minding your own business” it’s more likely it was for existing too close to their home.
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So we have a pear tree in our back yard that decided this was the year it was going to successfully bear fruit.
Its been extremely dry and we've been away a lot so I haven't cut the grass in about 8 weeks. I didn't even notice the tree had ripe fruit on it until yesterday. Stoked to check it out I walked over to pick some and noticed there's about ten full grown pears rotting on the ground below the tree that are just absolutely infested with wasps.
The tree is near our fence with the neighbors so I gotta deal with this fast so they don't get overwhelmed by wasps.
Does anyone know of a safe way to approach this? I broke my ribs and fucked up my back on a dirt bike last weekend so I can't exactly do anything that requires quick reactions or running away.
Any ideas would be super helpful
[EDIT] The solution was to wait until nightfall for them to return to their nest. I was able to pick up all the fruit and dispose of it with ease with maybe 5 wasps hanging around, seemingly in a stupor due to low light and cold air, instead of what looked like a few hundred during the day.
sarin*
*obviously a joke
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So we have a pear tree in our back yard that decided this was the year it was going to successfully bear fruit.
Its been extremely dry and we've been away a lot so I haven't cut the grass in about 8 weeks. I didn't even notice the tree had ripe fruit on it until yesterday. Stoked to check it out I walked over to pick some and noticed there's about ten full grown pears rotting on the ground below the tree that are just absolutely infested with wasps.
The tree is near our fence with the neighbors so I gotta deal with this fast so they don't get overwhelmed by wasps.
Does anyone know of a safe way to approach this? I broke my ribs and fucked up my back on a dirt bike last weekend so I can't exactly do anything that requires quick reactions or running away.
Any ideas would be super helpful
[EDIT] The solution was to wait until nightfall for them to return to their nest. I was able to pick up all the fruit and dispose of it with ease with maybe 5 wasps hanging around, seemingly in a stupor due to low light and cold air, instead of what looked like a few hundred during the day.
Eat the spicy fruit. Show them you're not to be trifled with.
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Clean up the fruit at night.
Are they typically less aggressive at night?
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So we have a pear tree in our back yard that decided this was the year it was going to successfully bear fruit.
Its been extremely dry and we've been away a lot so I haven't cut the grass in about 8 weeks. I didn't even notice the tree had ripe fruit on it until yesterday. Stoked to check it out I walked over to pick some and noticed there's about ten full grown pears rotting on the ground below the tree that are just absolutely infested with wasps.
The tree is near our fence with the neighbors so I gotta deal with this fast so they don't get overwhelmed by wasps.
Does anyone know of a safe way to approach this? I broke my ribs and fucked up my back on a dirt bike last weekend so I can't exactly do anything that requires quick reactions or running away.
Any ideas would be super helpful
[EDIT] The solution was to wait until nightfall for them to return to their nest. I was able to pick up all the fruit and dispose of it with ease with maybe 5 wasps hanging around, seemingly in a stupor due to low light and cold air, instead of what looked like a few hundred during the day.
The tree is near our fence with the neighbors so I gotta deal with this fast so they don’t get overwhelmed by wasps.
Why are some random wasps your responsibility, though?
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So we have a pear tree in our back yard that decided this was the year it was going to successfully bear fruit.
Its been extremely dry and we've been away a lot so I haven't cut the grass in about 8 weeks. I didn't even notice the tree had ripe fruit on it until yesterday. Stoked to check it out I walked over to pick some and noticed there's about ten full grown pears rotting on the ground below the tree that are just absolutely infested with wasps.
The tree is near our fence with the neighbors so I gotta deal with this fast so they don't get overwhelmed by wasps.
Does anyone know of a safe way to approach this? I broke my ribs and fucked up my back on a dirt bike last weekend so I can't exactly do anything that requires quick reactions or running away.
Any ideas would be super helpful
[EDIT] The solution was to wait until nightfall for them to return to their nest. I was able to pick up all the fruit and dispose of it with ease with maybe 5 wasps hanging around, seemingly in a stupor due to low light and cold air, instead of what looked like a few hundred during the day.
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The tree is near our fence with the neighbors so I gotta deal with this fast so they don’t get overwhelmed by wasps.
Why are some random wasps your responsibility, though?
The pear tree is on our property and I don't want my neighbors to be uncomfortable due to the large amount of wasps hanging around.
It's just a matter of courtesy. -
Are they typically less aggressive at night?
They usually won't be near the fruit at night. They have nests where they gather for warmth.
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They usually won't be near the fruit at night. They have nests where they gather for warmth.
You were 100% right! They were basically all gone and the few that were left didn't seem to be interested in me at all. What a pro tip this was! Thank you for your help!
