I do not know much about bugs so don't know which ones are thugs. Bugs loved the sea holly in bloom. They were covered with lots of bugs, some big black ones which may have been wasps or a large black fly. Sedum in bloom always attracts bees.

Thanks for including the link to your blog. Enjoyed catching up with your gardens.

Lots of different kinds of wasps here, too. I have one that makes me do a double take when I see it - I'm never sure at first whether it's a hummingbird moth, it's that big. Yike.

Speaking of wasps, I bit the bullet and started on bee venom shots last week. I get a cocktail of three shots each week.

Oh ajpa, I hope they aren't too painful. :-(

I've pretty much decided not to grow the monardas next year. In fact I'm considering sneaking out in the middle of the night and pulling out what I already have...

Kris

My goal is to attract as much wildlife as possible, and as much diversity as possible. So, I love the Monardas. I do wonder if their presence explains my lack of butterflies, though. I wonder if any eggs that get laid or cats that hatch are immediately gobbled up by the wasps. I've been looking all summer and haven't found any babies yet.

Martha

Hi docmom, I've been asking the very same question. When the monarchs initially laid so many eggs, I've never seen them again. I'm afraid that the hornets, wasps and yellow jackets have eaten all the eggs and/or baby cats. No sign of any of them. :-(

I am still going to pull the monardas. While I personally can tolerate and avoid some bad boys, I have friends interested in the gardens and the bee plants who are afraid or allergic to insect venom. Bees themselves are not likely to sting, but hornets and yellow jackets are wild cards. They can get riled up easily so I will at least remove their favorite food sources.

Kris

Hey Kris,

Yes I've noticed that my Monarda punctata (spotted bee balm) does INDEED attract all manner of wasps! Also carpenter bees and bumble bees. Other plants that seem to attract a lot of wasps are Aslcepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) and Oregano.

They are considered beneficial insects because they prey on caterpillars, aphids, cicadas, etc. but they also eat butterfly caterpillars. I have wondered if they are affecting the butterfly larvae here too.

I think Spotted bee balm is beautiful, but next year I'm moving it to the back meadow and away from my Milkweed, Dill and Fennel (Butterfly host plants).

Although they look scary, I have never been stung by wasps or any other bees pollinating in the garden. But I was stung by Yellow jackets multiple times this year when I disturbed their nest. No allergic reaction though, thank goodness.

Hi Terrene! Glad you chimed in on this. I, too, have never been stung by wasps, but certainly by yellow jackets. And white faced hornets can also be nasty. If the punctata only attracted all manner of wasps, then no prob. But the other guys, yes, prob.

I don't have any 'other place' to move my monardas as my 'back lot' butts up to a golf course. It would not be a good idea to move these plants and put them near the golfers. There's still a lot here for the pollinators so I don't feel bad if I don't feel I have to grow absolutely everything.

As for the milkweed, none of my 4 varieties have bloomed. I don't know when they are supposed to bloom. Maybe not this first year. But all the plants are healthy and, unfortunately, totally unchewed at this point. *sigh*

Kris

Kiddo, my milkweed has just started blooming here, so you may not get blooms til next year. I wasn't expecting any blooms at all.

Kris, don't yank ALL the Monarda - the 2 species that seem to attract a lot of wasps are M. punctata and M. citriodora (lemon bee balm). My M. fistulosa and didyma don't seem to attract wasps the same way.

My favorites are Monarda didyma, the red bee balm, and Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' (cultivar of M. didyma). The hummers LOVE these - and they're great for bees, hummingbird moths, and butterflies. I rarely see wasps on these.

All the species are rich with nectar - here's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Monarda citriodora.

{{gwi:265796}}

Hi Terenne, I only have the punctata and citriodora. I will, however, pursue getting some of the other varieties that you mention. I've never seen any of my many butterfly varieties on the punctata or citriodora. What a lovely pic of the swallowtail! As you may have seen on my blog, I've attracted a lot of different butterflies this year and enjoy watching them flit about all the time, especially on warm days! :-D
Kris

All kinds of wasps here too....all kinds of butterflies in the yard though.
I love attracting the tiny parasitic wasps that lay their eggs in aphids.
In my garden the wasps visit:
Monarda (especially the common M. fistulosa)
Thyme
Feverfew
Sweet Alyssum
Sedum

The wasps that are the most aggressive and numerous here; especially from now until frost, are the paper wasps (yellow/black striped). You don't want a cherry tree like I have! Any fruits that fall to the ground (and there's ALOT do to wind) or have been pecked at by birds but still in the tree are game! It's crazy with them out there right now. Scary!

Hi Vera. Odd you say that feverfew attracts the wasps. I have maybe 8 big plants new this year and have never seen ANYthing on them ever. Not even Jap beetles. In fact I've recommended them as a nice flower to a friend for her to plant around her deck because she is allergic to insect venom stings. Around here our paper wasps are just plain brown. I think the mud-daubers are striped though. And like I said I've never had any probs with wasps. But the yellow jackets and hornets are nasty. I've watched them hover around the agastache and when a bees lands on it, the hornets ATTACK them! I don't know why...
Kris

I have one ascelpsia curvasia (sp.) (silky dark red) that I just purchased. I swear, there is a wasp on it ALL the time. They must sleep on thing!

All summer the wasps patrolled my nasturtium. I'm thinking maybe it's because they are a host plant for the cabbage moths (do I have that right?) Why oh why don't they eat the ants? I have seen some huge carpenter ants this year.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the bumble bees in the forget-me-nots, nasturtium and begonia this year. They are such work-a-holics!

Kris,

I was at Barn Nursery 2 days ago. I got scared when I saw 3 black wasp that are 2 inches long. First time I have seen them.

Kris, I love your blog. That's so cool that you garden for bee's. I just put in some dotted BB this year myself, along with basic woodland lavender, Cambridge Scarlet, MarshallÂs Delight and Raspberry Wine. I'll have to keep my eye on the dotted next year. It's close to where I put large amounts of my dill & parsley.

Melissa1977

Hi Melissa1977 - thanks for visiting the blog! :-D

Yeah, I'll probably grow the Horsemint/Spotted BeeBalm (m. punctata) again next year, but I'll have to find a place waaaaay far from the milkweeds so the Monarch eggs have a chance. The big wasps are wonderful to watch, but I got so many hornets and yellow jackets on the monardas this year that I was concerned for my visitors. I had planted some right up next to the deck so finally had to pull it all up.

This time of year most of my sentences are starting with "...Y'know, NEXT year I'm gonna..." LOL

Kris

Kris, great thread and good link.

My bronze fennel had lots of eggs and caterpillars last year, and then I realized wasps were eating them. There's not much I can do that I know of... other than plant more caterpillar food sources and hope some survive. I note the wasps are back at the fennel this year, and I fear there is more carnage going on. Everybody's gotta eat, I guess.

Those of you with the really REALLY big wasps - google "cicada killer wasp" and see if that might be your wasp. We started seeing those here a few years ago. Like carpenter bees, they're mostly not a big deal other than they'll scare the bejeebers out of you just flying around. Males have no stingers and females only use their stingers to paralyze prey and defend a "nursery" tunnel.

Terri

Holy cow! That is something. I have Chicads in my yard. They are UGLY but harmless.. this is one scary looking wasp.

Here is a link that might be useful: ChicadaKilling wasp

Hey ontheteam. I've seen those babies. When I was working at a branch library there was a colony of them near the back door. They dug right into the dirt where the bike rack used to be. It was fascinating to watch them come and go and when they brought in a cicada it was amazing. Fortunately they didn't bother the patrons and so they weren't killed outright.

But boy, they sure look like giant yellow-jackets to be sure!

Thanks for the link. I'd forgotten about them....

Kris

Kris,
Thanks to the link to your blog. I have had the Great GOlden
Digger wasp on some oregeno this year. I had never seen
them before. Nice to learn about them.

The Cicada Killer Wasp, I have had in my back yard before, and
just happened to learn about them a few years ago. Intimidating
looking but harmless. I do stay clear tho.

Thanks for sharing your bugs!

Mary

I have been stung numourous times by wasps(this yr),lucky for me,get small red swollen area. never can locate stinger,in fact,I may not actually gotten it,maybe warning from worker wasp... not sure. (nest,inside truck handle). in my area,you don't have plant flowers to attract wasps,their there. painted wood,they nest.

Hi gobysun,
Sorry you have been stung. I hope that you and the wasps can co-exist. I've been reading up a lot about them lately and I found this very interesting from Wiki:

Wasps are critically important in natural biocontrol. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that is a predator or parasite upon it. Parasitic wasps are also increasingly used in agricultural pest control as they have little impact on crops. Wasps also constitute an important part of the food chain.

I know that I depend on the wasps to take care of the hornworms from eating all my tomato plants.... LOL

Kris

grey type stink bug,seen,with huge catepillar,I thought they were annoying,never seen them WORKING. (similar behavior of praying mantis)
once interrupted,drop dinner.

The weather seemed to make my yard more of a bee and wasp world this summer. We had wild bees in holes in the ground all over the yard, including on my SIL's lawn where my niece almost ran over it with the mower. I heard wild bees don't sting, but that's hard to remember when you're weeding a garden bed and they fly up around you all of a sudden.
We've had a lot of carpenter bees and bumble bees this year. They got cheated out of their usual convention in the horsechestnut tree because the blossoms went almost as soon as they opened. So they've been foraging in the yard on everything else they could...Nasturtiums, Sweet Peas, Dahlias, and Monarda mostly. The Sunnies didn't seem to please even them this year!

And then, a bunch of wasps kept me from tending to one set of my Dahlias. They were going in between the siding of the house and everytime I tried to prop up this one Dahlia, or cut one to bring indoors, they went after me....and they didn't stop until I went in the house (they followed me to the door...even inside if I didn't maneuver it right!) Their queen must've been pretty special!!

Linda