Hornets and Wasps in Autumn Gardens

Depending on where you live, autumn is either upon us or right around the corner. With fall weather inbound we’ll start to see some changes in how the plants and animals around us behave. Deciduous trees are dropping their leaves, geese and other birds are flying south—and hornets and wasps are much more active in autumn gardens. We tend to view insects as a warm-weather issue, so what’s up with hornets and wasps suddenly appearing everywhere in the fall? As it turns out, this is part of their life-cycle and seasonal cycle, so let’s dig in and learn a bit more about hornets and wasps in autumn gardens and how we can best manage their presence.

Bees, Hornets, and Wasps in the Fall

Hornets and wasps aren’t the only pollinators that are more active in the fall—bees and some birds are out and about more aggressively as well. There’s a common reason why all of these creatures seem to be everywhere at this time of year: they’re looking for food, generally in the form of sugar. This is the time of year when pollinators try to “fuel up” for the winter by gathering as much sugar-based food as possible to see them through the colder months. It’s the same reason why squirrels bury nuts and why mice store away seeds and grains. They’re all building their pantries so that they can eat all winter long.

Hornets, wasps, and some yellow jackets tend to be a bit more frenetic in their feeding frenzy at this time of year, and with good reason. Their populations are at a seasonal peak, and additionally they’re gathering the sugars they’ll need to feed their young when they start the brooding process in early spring. While this is absolutely natural and understandable, you probably don’t want these critters near your home or garden. So, what can we do about it?

Deterring Hornets and Wasps in the Garden

Keeping hornets and wasps away from your home and limiting their activity in your garden is a matter of diligence and care. With a little proactive maintenance, we can do a lot to ensure that we co-exist with these creatures with minimal conflict. Here are some steps you can take to help minimize the activity of hornets and wasps around your home and garden at this time of the year:

• Keep your yard and garden clean, by which we mean clean up anything that contains sugars or sweet aromas that may attract hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, and similar creatures. Remove damaged or over-ripe fruits and veggies from your garden, keep fruit treesclean and tidy, and clear away debris to eliminate potential nesting areas which may be used by some species.
• Keep your trash under wraps!Household wastes, in particular spoiled foods and kitchen scraps, can attract hornets, wasps, and the like. Anyone who’s ever had to work around a restaurant dumpster has probably seen this in a big way, and knows how annoying it can be! By keeping your trash sealed up—make sure your garbage can has a lid that closes tightly—you’ll go a long way towards keeping all pests away from your home.
• Take care of yourself!If you or someone you care about have an allergy to bee, wasp, or hornet stings, make sure you’re taking steps to keep yourselves safe. Have an epi-pen or similar medical device available if your physician has prescribed one. Wear clean, light-colored clothing, avoid toiletries with strong fragrances, and stay calm if you encounter a stinging insect of whatever sort. The CDC has a good set of guidelines for safety around bees, wasps, and hornets, and we encourage you to take a look at it.
• Support pollinators year roundby planting a pollinator-friendly garden, providing water sources for them, and if possible keep a bit of your yard “wild” so that pollinators (and all sorts of wildlife) have a place to go. This helps promote a balanced relationship between your garden and the natural world of which we are all a part, and thus maintain good and healthy pollinator populations.

Hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, and other stinging insects may seem annoying, but they’re a vital part of the world around us and a healthy addition to any garden. By taking some steps to keep them away from your home itself and managing their presence in your garden, you’ll be helping to maintain the natural world while ensuring that your own plants thrive.