We all know bees, wasps and flies are important pollinators. When we see a bee plowing through the sky like a large cargo plane with pollen hanging from its legs, belly, and face, we know the worker has done the job of pollinating flowers and collecting pollen for the hive.
But, this important work can be a nuisance to a gardener pruning a rose or a guest milling on the patio.
Still, it’s best to avoid spraying a bee or wasp killer if you are hosting a party. Bees that bumble around the yard will cool down at night and naturally leave chatting guests alone. If you are worried about keeping the bees at bay during the day, hose water on any flowering plant. Bees do not pollinate flowers that are dripping with water and will fly to the neighbor’s flowers.
As for the pesky wasps, there are two wasps that are almost identical in appearance. Both the yellow jacket and the European paper wasp have yellow-and- black bodies, large abdomens and a skinny “waist.”
Yellow jackets are the bothersome kind sometimes swarming picnic plates. They nest in the ground waiting for food to appear before coming around.
The European paper wasp, by contrast, feeds on living insects. This yellow jacket mimic makes paper nests in your eaves and right next to the patio door, but will not fight for your food.
The yellow jacket population will stay away from your party if you place wasp traps around the perimeter of your property.
European paper wasp nests need to be removed to keep them from buzzing around your house. On a cool evening, take a small plastic bag out to a nest. Place the bag around the nest and pull down. The paper home will fall into your bag. Close the top to keep in the wasps. After physically removing the nests once or twice, you will notice the wasps nesting in the trees and shrubs away from your most traveled areas.
Emily Coll is a horticulture agent with the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension in Douglas County.
