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Welcome to our Head Gardener’s Journal

In this monthly column, we will share technical aspects of our work and also keep you up to date about ongoing projects. If there is any topic you might want to hear more about, please ask during your next visit!

Making Peace with Wasps

You probably know all too well that feeling of trepidation when approaching a fruit tree laden with delicious fruit at this time of year as it will be inevitably covered in wasps which are determined to defend their share of the harvest.

You might don hats, gloves, coat yourself in insect repellent or take your life in our hands to prize your precious fruit away from the insurgents.

In desperation and against your conscience, you might even resort to sugar or pheromone traps which will lure the wasps to their certain death.

No more! There is an effective means of deterring the incoming forces in a very simple, inexpensive, eco-, and wasp-friendly way: The ‘Waspinator’ is a paper bag which you fill with any water-proof stuffing material to turn it into a balloon. Hang it up in a tree, and, because of its colouring and markings, wasps will take it for a wasp’s nest. To avoid trouble with the neighbours, they will henceforth avoid the tree so you can pick your fruit at leisure and in peace.

At the end of the season, you can collect your Waspinators and store them for the next year.