Wasps hunkering down in smoke

[Joel Geier]

Our paper wasps have been hunkered down on their nests in our greenhouse attachment, for three straight days now.

Would this be a response to the smoke, the gloom, the relatively cool temperatures, or all of the above?

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Joel Geier

Camp Adair area north of Corvallis

[Lisa Millbank]

I noticed that the paper wasp nest in our rain gauge is also not active right now.  I could see them clinging to the nest like your photo shows, but I think the cool temperature and low light has a big effect on them.  I'm not sure how smoke affects them, if it has the same effect that it does on honey bees (by interfering with their ability to smell pheromones).

The paper wasps are great to have in the garden because they constantly search for and eat caterpillars on the broccoli/Brussels sprouts, etc.  Now they seem dormant, and I wonder what effect that will have on the caterpillar population.  We've never had any problems with them being aggressive, and they don't seem to care even when we're close to their nests. 

Lisa Millbank

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