I know many of you are still disappointed that the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society was unable to have our AnnualFruit, Flower and Vegetable Show, and I appreciate the many lovely comments that you have shared about our 鈥渧irtual鈥� show, which was held online.聽
Yes, it was different, but still inspiring to see what gardeners are doing this year.聽 Guess what, if you haven鈥檛 seen it yet, you still can by visiting us at 聽 Once again, I鈥檇 like to thank John, our website guru, for setting all that up for us.聽 It looks great!聽 I鈥檇 also like to thank Keith for volunteering to go and shoot beautiful photos in some members鈥� gardens for the show.聽 And thank you to everyone who took part: you made history for the hort society by bringing your garden to the electronic age, 小蓝视频 good sports, and trying something new to promote joy in the garden!
One thing that is not very joyful in the garden seems to be the number of wasps buzzing around this summer.聽 I guess we could call them very social, because as soon you sit down on the patio, especially if you have tea or coffee or a soft drink or food, there they are!聽 One lazy Sunday afternoon I was outside painting on our patio, and several wasps were continually buzzing around my paints.聽 Not sure if they smelled the paint or liked the bright colors, but they were painting assistants that I didn鈥檛 need!
I did some reading about wasps, and found out some interesting things.聽 At this time of year, the wasps are looking for protein more than sugar, so that鈥檚 why they like to join us if we are dining al fresco.
They are aggressive garden guests, and if they decide to sting, they can do so more than once.聽 If they are buzzing around, stay still and do not try and bat them away.聽 We should never leave food items unattended, as that is a 鈥渨asp-magnet鈥� for the unwanted visitors.聽 We should avoid bright clothes, and avoid strong scents such as perfume or aftershave.聽 It is also a good idea to wear closed shoes to protect your feet.
I learned that yellow jackets are the insects that build their nests in the ground, while paper wasps are the ones that build their nests under eaves or steps or on horizontal surfaces.聽 If it is any comfort to us, these are the more laid-back and less aggressive of the two.
There are commercial wasp sprays, and these can be used in the evening when the wasps are less aggressive.聽 I also read that soapy water can be poured into the ground nests, and a mixture of vinegar and water used as a spray may also work. It seems that each situation depends on the location of the nest, so we gardeners have to do our homework first before we take action!聽 And always, always 聽be very careful!聽
There are also natural controls like false nests and traps (but if we use these we should be sure they are not trapping bees).聽 We have to remember that wasps are pollinators, too, and if their nest is at a distance and not endangering you or your family, it might be okay to just leave it alone.聽 By this time of year they are winding down, so the problem season may be almost over.
As Great-Grammie always used to say, there is always something new to learn!聽
Thank you to our friends at Yorkton This Week for their great work.聽 Let us pray for health and safety for all.聽 Have a great week and be sure to wear a hat!
