Alastria

I don't know how to explain it very well, but you know the brown leaves that peel off of the pseudostem? I'm noticing that wasps seem to love hiding in them, between the leaf and the stem. I don't know if I'm supposed to trim them or not, but I have been just to try to make them a less enticing hiding spot. I only cut the brown part and leave an inch or so of the brown on so I don't cut into anything green by mistake. But even keeping it short, four times now I've seen wasps hiding in there. What are they doing, and how can I discourage them from doing this? I prefer not to use poisons if I don't have to. But I'm allergic to bees, so this has me a bit uncomfortable.

Sorry for the bad picture, but hopefully this'll show what I mean a bit better about where I'm finding them. They're not under the broad leaves. They're tucked into these spots. I haven't seen signs of a nest, just random individuals.



Edit: I edited yellow jackets to wasps, since I realized I don't know what kind of wasps they are, all I know is that they're black and yellow.

JP

Call an exterminator. I'm allergic too and I have no choice to make them spray each year. There's so many wasps here. Yellow jackets are very aggresive! You don't want to mess with them, let a pro do it.

Alastria

I'd call an exterminator if I found a nest, but all I've seen so far is the occasional lone yellow jacket hanging out in the psuedostems. I'd really rather not use poisons if I don't have to, although I would as a last resort if it came down to it. And I'm curious to know what on earth they're even doing in there in the first place.

Botanical_Bryce

Yellow jackets or paper wasps? Yellow jackets make no sense. Paper wasps and pygmy paper wasps will always nest under broad surfaces. I have never had one of these species ever attack me and I have them on everything. Yellow jackets are danderous to anyone but almost always colonize underground. Rarely elsewhere. Yellow jackets defend the nest with ferocity.

Botanical_Bryce

Visiting yellow jackets are hard to avoid. Less likely to sting away from the nest.

Alastria

Hmm. Good question. I got as far as seeing bright yellow and black and ran. I thought they were yellow jackets, but maybe (hopefully) I'm wrong. I did wonder why they let me get so close without coming after me. They just kind of fumbled out of the leaf I disturbed the same way I fumble out of bed in the morning. So maybe it was paper wasps.

They aren't under the broad leaves. They were in the leaves that peel off of the pseudostem, in the crack between the pseudostem and dead leaf.

Botanical_Bryce

I was thing nest. Yellow jackets may be going in for banana juice.

Alastria

Can't say I blame them. I'd chug some banana juice too, if I could. Each time I found them, it looked sort of like they were sleeping. They were huddled up in there with their legs tucked under them, and it probably would've been cute if they were any other type of bug. One of the ones I disturbed this morning fell out and blundered around disoriented for a few minutes before it took off.

Also, I edited my post a bit to try to clear a few things up. I changed it from yellow jacket to wasp, and I added a picture.

Botanical_Bryce

Here are my pets.

Alastria

Hmm. Those look brown and yellow. Mine were black and yellow. They're smart to nest in the middle of all those thorns, though.

Botanical_Bryce

I wish I knew how you could keep them out of there. Tractor supply may have yellow jacket traps.

JP

Maybe they got cold and went there to protect themselves... How's been temperature lately?

mskin

I have noticed the same thing on my banana's - I'm pretty sure the wasps / bee's are there to pick up water / moisture that accumulates in the voids.

a.hulva@coxinet.net

Guaranteed organic Wasp/Yellow Jacket/Hornet killer. Take two bricks and label one A and one B. Place insect on brick A, smack brick A with brick B. Repeat as necessary.

JP

The problem is the insect does not cooperate. Lol!

Alastria

Heat index has been in the mid-90's during the day. I work in the garden from sunrise til about 8am and when I come back in, it's usually in the mid-80's.

Well, at least it's not just me. I've seen them gnawing at the edges of the broad leaves for what I assume must be the water. So it'd make sense if they were in there for the same reason.

Oh yeah, I can totally see myself doing that without getting stung left and right and blowing up like the blueberry girl in Willy Wonka.