I have the most beautiful crop of yellow figs starting to ripen to the point of picking, however the wasps have arrived for thier share. I don't mind sharing them but last year they got them all before they were ripe enough for me to use. I have several waspinators hanging also some wasp traps and they still are eating the figs. Can anyone suggest another method of controling them. Thanks for any and all suggestions. Regards Barb Van Dyck
I haven't tried this on a tree, but I use floating row covers on susceptible vegetables to keep insect pests away. That type of lightweight fabric could be wrapped around individual figs if there aren't many, or around the whole tree if it isn't too large, or around selected branches to save part of the crop. It might be worth trying.
Thanks for the suggestion but the trees are about 20 feet tall and have a very heavy crop this year so I don't think covering them is possible. I got out there this morning before the sun came up and managed to pick a lot before the wasps were about so at least I didn't lose the whole crop.
The time to control wasps is in the early spring when the queens emerge and are foraging. Come summer you are killing workers, a war you cant win! Two litre soda bottles fitted with a rosebud from a gaden centre [$2.50] with some orange juice will get them. Honey bees wont touch it.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try it in the spring. I wouldn't normally try to kill any wasps, but they were just to plentiful last year
I've tried that in the past and its worked. But yeah, as stated, killing them in the summer is 99.99% of the time just eradicating the workers.
A rosebud is a piece of plastic in the shape of a rose with an entrance by which wasps can enter. It fits onto the side of a two litre soda bottle.
