O.K now I can't even go and harvest my Chinese red noodle beans it is full of wasps, ants and aphids, the ants and aphids I can deal with but boy I am getting the big wasps as well and they are acting very territorial with these beans. For what I read they are attracted by the smell of the flowers but I had no idea that it would get this bad. Any suggestions on what I should do? I also have little kids and really don't want them to get stung by a mean wasp.
Chinese red Noodle attracts lots of mean wasps please help!!
That's a tough one. If it were me, I'd observe them at different hours of the day and choose the least active times to go pick. Probably as the sun is going down. Or even by night with a flashlight...!
They may be after those aphids too- you could try wiping them out as best you could and see if that made a difference in the wasp activity. But if they like the blooms, well, it's not as if you're going to snip those off!
If they're really too aggressive and a cause of worry about the kids, I'd rip them out after dark and call it a lesson learned.
ETA: Or hang up a Waspinator, one of those fake nests- they do work in keeping nest builders away, maybe one would work for your situation too.
This message was edited Sep 1, 2010 11:57 AM
YIKES!!!
On the upside, if you have to leave some out there to go to seed, I know someone who'd love to make a trade with you! ~:-)
Well I was able to collect some early in the morning but the problem as well is the ants and the mites they are everywhere in this plant, not sure if it is worth the trouble to tell you the truth. Funny thing is I sent some seeds to my mother in law in Michigan and she said that apart from some ants in the plants she did not have problems with mites or wasps at all.
If it was me, I'd hook one of those Sevin hose spray bottles on and spray like a fiend, then harvest in a day or two (rinse well). Don't like predator wasps one bit. Toss a some Andro around for the evil ants (I'm assuming you're blessed with fire ants, too)
You can get rid of aphids just by hosing down with water. Get rid of the aphids, and you will not have the ants. But the aphids are there because the plant is stressed, so try to examine what's causing that.
I have learned to deal with wasps, which like to hunt in my garden. Just keep calm around them and don't bat at them. They don't sting me, although they will fly close sometimes to have a look. I swear they must be near-sighted. Most wasps are not dangerous. Yellow jackets are another story.
Thanks paracelsus, actually the vine right now is almost dead, I just have to go and take it down, funny thing is the other ones I planted in the same bed the soybeans don't have the aphid problem at all, for what I read on the net regarding this particular bean is that it tend to attract more of the aphids than other species, I think the smell of the flowers is what attracts them. Since the plant is almost dead and there are no more flowers the wasps have been decreasing in number as well.