It's a Plague!

Yes, I think we have an insect plague going on around here!  Yes indeed. 

You see... some little yellow and black monsters have invaded us. I don't know where they are coming from, but they have taken over every inch of ground in this area.  It is not just a problem here at my house, but in this area.  In fact, the local stores can't hardly keep the wasp traps on their shelves.  You are in luck if you find a trap for these buggers, and many people have taken to making their own wasp traps. 

We were lucky to find and be able to buy one of these wasp traps, and it was a good investment.  I couldn't wait to get the trap set.  So, I followed the instructions for setting the bait and preparing the trap. 

Only thing was, I didn't realize just how good the bait was...

As I walked outside to find a place to hang the trap, I instantly had a swarm of wasps flying around me.  I was in a hurry to rid myself of the trap, and let the wasps get busy being trapped instead of trying to sting me, and so I hung it on a stick that we use for a bonfire that was sticking out of the back of the pickup.  It was the closest hanger I could find in order to get away from these very determined creatures!

This was the trap just an hour later, almost HALF full of trapped wasps!  It was crazy to see the swarm of wasps fighting to try to get into this trap. Whatever the bait consisted of... it was working!

I went back and read the directions again, and in small print it says "Be sure to set trap late at night or early in the morning"... well so much for reading those directions!  There is a reason you put it out late at night, or very early in the morning, so as to not get yourself stung by all the angry little fellows trying to get a piece of that bait!

There is something morbid about watching the swarms of wasps just flocking around this trap!  I do not know how many wasps it can hold, but they just pile in there, and die on top of each other within hours of setting the trap out... incredible how many of these things are flying around everywhere, and that is why I am calling this a plague!!! 

I brought the trap in at night, as the little monsters go somewhere ... who knows where... at dusk, and it is safe to handle the trap then.  I need to make sure all these wasps die tonight, so I can dump them in the morning, and reset the trap. 

As you can see, some are still alive when I brought them in...  but most of them have passed on... shall we have a funeral... or a celebration!

I set the trap out early this morning, and just a few minutes later, the sun was up, and the wasps were buzzing around their trap of death.  It seems that the more you kill, the more they keep coming! There seems to be no end to them!

And wasps don't have any qualms about eating dead things, not at all.  I had dumped the dead wasps into the field, and just a few minutes later, all the wasps were swarming over the dead wasps  - what morbid creatures they are! I could hardly get close to take a picture of the dead wasps for fear of being stung by the live ones swarming the dead ones!

So, I walked away from the trap a few feet, and took a video of them, and thought you might like to see just how many wasps we have swarming the area right now...

Right now there are lots of different ideas and theories out there about why the wasps are so bad this year. Apparently people who have lived here all their lives have never seen the wasps this bad.  So one of the theories ... of course... is that it means we are going to have a bad winter.  If that is the case... at this point, I am ready for winter, just to be rid of these evil little bugs!  I can't even water without them attacking and chasing me any more.  It has become a battle of wills to get myself outside in the morning and fight off the wasps in order to water my plants and flowers, and tend my garden.

However, I've learned that usually as long as you keep moving, they usually won't bother you...  but if you stand still too long, or swat at them or jerk suddenly, then they think it is time for attack.  All of us have had our turn at being stung this year, and it seems that a cut onion works the best for keeping the itch and sting at bay.

So, here's to hoping that this plague of wasps ends soon!  I've learned not to act or feel scared of these guys, but just to keep moving, and they usually won't bother you.  That seems to be the best plan of action around these morbid, mean, bothersome wasps!