A wasp feeding on a plum

Wasps

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Monday, 18 March 2019 at 3:00 pm

Protect your fruit harvest from wasps with the help of our guide.

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Wasps love feeding on soft, juicy fruit. They can break through the skins of grapes, peaches and plums, and quickly nibble out sizeable cavities, but fruit with tougher skins such as apples and pears must first be broken open by pecking birds before the wasps can enter.

Symptoms

Small holes in soft fruit or tree fruit, often with a wasp inside.

Find it on

fruit trees and bushes

Organic

Individual prize fruits can be protected by covering them in old tights, horticultural fleece, muslin or something similar. Hang up wasp traps filled with jam.

Chemical

Wasp nests can be eliminated by calling in professional pest control companies, or if the nest is small enough, by using a proprietory product from any hardware store.

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