is it possible to live with wasps?

[mopinko]

we have a nest in the compost pile in the garden. not sure what kind they are, but they about the size and color of honey bees. smaller that the usual yellow jackets.
they have not bothered anybody till now, when DH pulled up a big weed that was covering the opening to the nest. they got a little upset about that. between the 2 of us we have had about a dozen stings.

the thing is, i think these are our main pollinators. i have seen so few bees this year, and our berries are not really producing. i have wildflowers in my front yard that are usually abuzz, but this year not. right now we have cukes, beans, and tomatoes that are blooming.
if it is possible to have a little detente, we are thinking the smart thing to do is to leave them be until things stop flowering. am i nuts?

[hippywife]

1. We have many here all over the place.

A few even manage to enter the house quite frequently. This has been going on for years. We find if we keep our distance and leave them alone, even in the house, they leave us alone.

[akwapez]

2. Depends on what it is exactly. Most wasps are not pollinators

I'm not claiming to be able to answer further should you ID them, but just sharing what I do know.

[awoke_in_2003]

3. I would kill them...

go after them at night. I just took out a couple nest two nights ago without a sting. All I heard was dead wasps hitting the concrete- it was a lovely sound :evilgrin:

[dgibby]

4. I wouldn't want to,

but you might find this helpful:

http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/wasps/

Good luck!

[NJCher]

5. I've lived with them

Off and on for years.

This year they're gone.

But other years...Oy.

You can live with them, you just have to be careful.


Cher

[Blue Gardener]

6. I live with them

Got stung four times when I ran over a nest with the lawn mower, but I can hardly blame the wasps for doing what they are supposed to do. I can't see killing anything when we can co-exist with very little effort on my part.

[Matariki]

7. I have a friend who raises honey bees

she is one of the most peaceful people I know and yet she is like Kali The Destroyer when it comes to wasps! Apparently they are quite detrimental to honey bees.