In this area wasps are something of a plague. Every year we have to eliminate multiple nests from our deck railing and even more from our wooden fences. We put out traps and catch them by the dozens, but this has no visible dent on the population as a whole. For some reason the wasps particularly like our red maple tree. In July and August you can watch as dozens of them hover around the tree.
This year there are no wasps. I have not seen a single nest on our property and I’ve only seen two flying around that I can recall. This is such a drastic change from the norm that I have spent some time wondering about it. I’d heard that there was a horrible bee virus sweeping across the country. The virus apparently kills whole hives. I wonder if this same virus kills off the wasps too.
The wasps were a nuisance to me. I didn’t like them. But the abrupt disappearance of all of them is a disruption in the local ecology and I wonder what the further repercussions will be.
Wasps are in no danger of being wiped out so far here in western colorado. There’s quite a nest of them at my brother’s house.
I think the bee plague I’ve read about is mostly among commercial hives. Supposedly, it isn’t effecting wild bees. I know that down in New Mexico, we have plenty of bees this year. And thinks to a wet summer and heavy snow this past winter, our apple trees are producing fruit for the first time in several years. Cool!
Here in Farmington we are rife with them. I have killed at least 10 nests this year so far around our house and shed and they just keep coming back. I’ve spent a fortune on wasp spray. I think maybe you just got lucky!
Do you think it might be the smoke in the local air?
Ah. Then I shall stop worrying and instead rejoice.
I don’t think it is the smoke because the wasps were absent months before the fires began. My guess is that the abnormally cold January froze them all to death.
There’s no shortage of WASPS back home in upstate New York, or in New Engl… oh. Oh. Actual bug-type wasps. Nevermind. I never misunderstood the title of your post. Nope.
You make me laugh. Thanks!