The buzzing of the wasps in summer sounds like music to the ears of many a gardener. Especially when the noises come from the insect hotel they set up themselves. Do you feel the same? Then find out on this page how you attract the insect species, what you need to look out for in your insect hotel and how wasps behave towards other residents.
Wasps like the same conditions as bees
attract wasps
Wasps don't have a good reputation with humans. The expert gardener knows better: insects are very useful plant pollinators. It is definitely worth luring them into your own garden.
location
Wasps thrive under the following site conditions:
- Free entry lane
- Little rainfall
- sheltered from the wind
- Intense sun exposure (south facing is best)
- Near a food source
Wasps are not usually bothered by people being in the immediate vicinity. However, this is not based on reciprocity. The smell of sweet cakes attracts insects in droves. Therefore, do not place your insect hotel (€11.33) directly next to the terrace or the garden table. Even a balcony is only suitable to a limited extent.
filling material
Each insect species prefers a different set-up. Wasps particularly like to nest in the following material:
- Hollow plant stems, such as bamboo tubes
- Drilled hardwood (beech, ash, oak or apple tree)
- bricks
Especially with wasps you have to pay attention to a careful processing of the edges of your filling material. Bumps and cracks in the wood injure the insects' delicate wings.
Uninvited guests
Unlike bees, who behave peacefully almost without exception, wasps are not always welcome. For one thing, they like to stab you when they feel threatened. Therefore, you should carefully consider building a wasp insect hotel if you could endanger children or pets. On the other hand, the wasps also like to help themselves to the laid brood of other residents. When these have just flown, they drill open the nest closures and lay their eggs in the tubes. The hatching larvae then feed on the alien brood.