Earth wasps (photo) - effective methods of destruction

Wasps have become familiar companions of man. They can be found in the city and at the cottage. In the afternoon they habitually circle over fruits and flowers, in the evening fly away to the nest. Its location depends on the preferences of the uterus, some build it on trees, others in the attics, and still others in empty birdhouses. Numerous families of burrowing, road and sand wasps have adapted to breeding in burrows. These are single insects that dig their homes on their own. Under the soil, paper wasps or hornets can settle down. Earth wasps are not a separate family, but various species that have chosen the soil for the construction of the nest.

Features of the behavior of earthen wasps

In the summer, in the garden you can see striped toilers hiding in a hole. The sight is unusual, so the question arises - do wasps live in the earth? With all the diversity of wasp species, families are found digging holes for offspring. These are loners laying eggs in isolated cells. Females do not regularly care for offspring, they leave food and seal a hole. Newborn larvae eat alive, but paralyzed insects, until they get stronger. Adult individuals dig out the course and get out. Now their diet will consist of their nectar and sweet juice. Predatory wasps prefer to grow larvae on caterpillars and bunches, destroying a large number of pests.
Social wasps live in colonies of hundreds of individuals. They constitute a threat to the owners of the site on which they settled. A huge number of aggressive predators is a constant threat of a bite during agricultural work. Winged insects living in the earth lead a familiar lifestyle. The Queen is responsible for laying eggs and managing the colony. In the spring, she herself builds a nest, flies for food for the first larvae. With the advent of working individuals, she stops sorties, doing exclusively egg laying.

Nest building

The choice of location for the construction of the nest is made by the queen of an earthen wasp. In the spring, she first goes in search of a site where she will give life to a new swarm. An empty, spacious hole and plenty of food nearby can attract her. The uterus builds the first honeycomb from the bark of trees, chewed and moistened with saliva. After hardening, the mass becomes like rough paper. Initially, 5-10 cells are made, in which an egg is laid. After 35-40, the first assistants will appear. The following tiers and cells will be attached to the nest.

At the end of summer, the dwelling reaches its maximum size. Their eggs laid by the uterus appear female, capable of procreation, and males. In August-September, they begin to mate. The old uterus leaves the house and flies away, the young fertilized females hide in the ground or crevices of trees. Only they will survive the winter. The remaining inhabitants will freeze and die.

Attention. Do not be afraid that next year earthen wasps return to the old nest.Wintered uterus will give life to a new family elsewhere.

What wasps live in the earth?

There are several types of insects that prefer to build nests and breed offspring away from prying eyes. Many families of solitary settled in the soil. The most common types of earthen wasps are:

Sand or Burrowing Wasps

Representatives of this family arrange homes in soft sandy soil. Their sizes range from 5 to 20 mm. Unlike other species, digging wasps have more females than males. On the forelegs are stiff bristles that allow burrows to dig. Insects are predators that supply larvae with paralyzed spiders, bugs, caterpillars, and aphids. The diet of adults consists of fruit juice, nectar, aphid secretions. Most genera are black or black and yellow.

Sand wasps are loners. Each female takes care of creating nests and food for the larvae. One of the largest representatives of the species is ammophile. Her thin body reaches 40 mm. The insect is black with a red spot on the abdomen. Females dig burrows well and disguise them from enemies. There are separate chambers for each egg in the tunnel.

Among the digging wasps there is a species that causes great damage to apiaries. This is a bee wolf or philanthropist. He feeds his offspring with bees. A small insect (12-17 mm) has a characteristic black and yellow color. Philanthropists build nests on the slopes of ravines and ditches. They smell the bee and attack it in flight. The female carries paralyzed prey to a nest.

Road wasp

Hymenoptera insects of medium and large size (15-40 mm). They are called pompilides. The body of the wasps is long, most often they are black. There are red or yellow spots on the abdomen. The wings are smoky.

Information. Wasps arrange their nests in dense land along the roads, digging deep minks with branches.

As food for the larvae, they choose spiders. On a paralyzed arthropod, females lay their eggs and seal the nest. Pompilids live everywhere. The greatest variety of species is represented in the tropics.

Attention. The bite of road wasps is considered one of the most painful. This species rarely settles in suburban areas. The probability of encountering it is extremely small.

Paper wasp

We are accustomed to see representatives of the family of real or paper wasps under the roofs of houses, on tree branches, in hollows. But they can build a nest in the soil of a garden plot or in a garden. A young uterus finds an empty hole and gives rise to a colony. She independently begins the construction of the first hundred. The queen takes care of the first larvae, catches locusts, caterpillars, bugs and other garden pests for them.

What does an earthen wasp look like? The insects that hid the nest under a layer of soil are no different from those that settle on trees. The body of paper wasps is clearly divided into 3 parts - the head, chest and abdomen. Complicated eyes are well developed. The mouth apparatus is gnawing, it is used to remove bark from trees and chop prey. The abdomen consists of 6-8 segments. Insects have two pairs of transparent membranous wings. Head and chest are black with yellow spots. On the abdomen, black stripes alternate with yellow.

Attention. In females, a sting is hidden in the abdomen, connected with a poisonous gland. This is the ovipositor, transformed into a weapon to protect the nest. In the event of a threat, they violently attack the enemy.

Hornets

Vespins are a subfamily of real wasps that are distinguished by the complex behavior and architecture of the nests. Hornets are the largest and most aggressive representatives of this species. Their size can be 25-50 mm. The eyes of insects are red-brown in color, the occipital part of the head is wider. The color of the chest and abdomen, in addition to black and yellow, has stripes of brown color. Predatory hornets kill prey with poison and tear it with jaws. They prey on flies, bugs, spiders, grasshoppers, bugs.

Usually a family makes a nest in a hollow or non-residential building, but can settle in the ground.Bites of large wasps are painful, and for people prone to allergies, they can be dangerous.

Danger to people

Neighboring predatory insects can be beneficial. Wasps settled on the site will help with the destruction of pests. Over the summer, they will catch hundreds of flies, caterpillars, and butterflies for their offspring. All the positive aspects outweigh the harm done in several cases. What is dangerous earth wasps?

• If the family has allergies, a bite can provoke a dangerous immune response.
• Neighboring insects is undesirable for young children.
• The nest is located on the bed and interferes with the harvest.
• The neighborhood of wasps near the apiary is unacceptable. Predators will kill bees.

Attention. Wasp venom can paralyze or kill invertebrates. To a person and pets, a bite causes tangible pain. The danger is only for people with individual intolerance to insect toxins.

Ways to deal with stinging aggressors

Wasps living in the ground can be destroyed by mechanical means or chemicals.

Insecticides

Modern chemicals can get rid of any insects. Intestinal contact insecticides can be poured into a nest or mixed with a bait. In the first case, it is necessary to prepare the solution according to the instructions and pour into the tap hole. Above the nest is closed with a cargo, which prevents the wasps from flying out. The product in powder or granules can be scattered at the entrance. Insects will cling to its paws and bring it in, poisoning the larvae.

Making poison baits is a simple and safe way to deal with earthen wasps. The insecticide is mixed in sweet syrup or liquid honey. The container with the bait is left in the hole. Insects will not pass by treats. With food, poison enters the body of adults, and sticky drops from the paws will poison the larvae. Boric acid is suitable as a toxin. As the bait is eaten, syrup with an insecticide is added. After one or two weeks, all the inhabitants of the nest will be dead. The following drugs are used:

• Karbofos - the product is sold in the form of powder and concentrate. Due to the pungent odor, it cannot be used for traps.
• Aktara is a universal insecticide against harmful insects. Granules can be scattered on the ground, and the powder used for bait.
• Moskitol - thanks to the aerosol form it is not required to come close to the nest. The spray can acts on 6 m. The poisons cypermethrin and bioalletrin instantly paralyze insects .;
• Gett - a solution of the drug leads to a violation of the nervous activity of wasps. The tool has a long duration.

Insecticide control methods for earthen wasps are safe and effective. But care should be taken near the nest.

Burning out

Fire is a formidable ally in the fight against insects. Burning a nest is a simple and effective way. Paper honeycombs burn well, especially after pouring kerosene or gasoline. It will take several liters of flammable liquid. Near the hole a small path for burning is made. After presenting the match, it is better to run away, a small explosion and a flame are possible. The method is not recommended if there are flammable buildings nearby.

Tip. Before the destruction begins, track the wasps and find out where the entrances to the nest are located. They need to be shut up, leaving only the main tap hole.

Boiling water

One of the mechanical ways to kill stinging insects is to fill their homes with boiling water. The method is absolutely not expensive, but inferior in effectiveness to the use of chemicals. It will become an alternative to burning. Hot water will need about 20 liters. Boiling water quickly, poured into a hole that closes with stone. The disadvantage of this method is that not all insects die after contact with water. The procedure will have to be repeated. Work with boiling water carefully so as not to get a burn.

Precautionary measures

When deciding how to get rid of earthen wasps, you need to take care of your own protection.During operation, you should be careful, because a disturbed swarm can greatly bite a person. Among the recommended security measures:

• Wear a protective suit. The best option is the beekeeper’s clothes, but casual is also suitable. It must be sewn from thick fabric. Necessarily long sleeves, a cap on the head and a mesh on the face. Wear gloves on your hands.
• During operation, you must not make noise and make sudden movements. These actions provoke an attack of insects.
• Care must be taken in advance to shelter in the event of an attack. If the residential building is built near the nest, it is worth closing all the windows.
• It is better to engage in the destruction of earthen wasps in the evening. At this time of day they gather in the nest and prepare for bed. You can find the whole swarm in one place and with minimal activity.

In a situation where the nest of insects is in a remote corner and does not pose a serious danger, it is better not to disturb it. In the fall, its inhabitants will fly apart and die.