Digger Wasps

Terrifying - I hate wasps. We went to a funeral a couple of weeks ago and all round the flower beds of the church there were hundreds of wasps flying in and out of the ground - they must have been the same species. Maybe consult an extermination company for advice or perhaps the council could advise - they sent someone round to deal with a bees nest in our garden years ago.

I've got the same problem in my lawn - suddenly hundreds of holes at this time of year. Did you find anything that got rid of them?

The Buglife website says that they do not use their sting as a defence mechanism, only to paralyse their prey. So nothing to worry about there. I remember having them in my garden down south and they were never a problem.

My dog was stung when she accidentally disturbed a nest of them.

You get loads of them in the New Forest, -sandy soil and I see them out walking the dog on the South Downs -chalky soil.

Rosieroe, Thank you for that. I have read it and thankfully the wasps in or garden are a lot smaller, about normal wasp size but with bigger wings and squarer, but they are gradually taking over more of the garden

The amazing thing is how they can have gone from nothing to now upwards of 100 nests in three days. They seem very rare in this country. The other thing puzzling me is, that all the online sources (and they are very few) say these wasps prefer bare earth and preferably sandy soils. In our case we are talking about a colony in a lawn in a clay vale, the exact opposite to what they are meant to prefer.

I found this m.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Ground-Digger-Wasps-(Cicada-Killers)-from-Your-Lawn

I remember seeing these when we were on holidayin in France - horrible things paralysed other insects and dragged them underground. I know it's nature and survival and so on, but it's horrible.

The problem is, we cannot enjoy nature! They are in the grass very close to the house and right beside our sitting out area and straying towards the house, so windows and doors are shut to keep them out. Had they been further up the garden or in the area of wild grass I keep uncultivated to encourage wildlife, all would have been well.

From what I have read they burrow deep so that the eggs they lay inside are protected from the winter weather so we will have them again next year.

Shouldn't worry too much they help air -ate your lawn I would have thought and the cold weather will see them disappear. Enjoy nature!!!! (smile)