Abby Lois and Christelle Guédot
Social Wasps
Social Wasps in Wisconsin Vineyards
The interplay between social wasps and fruit crops can be a difficult relationship for growers to navigate. On one hand, wasps can be major vineyard pests, as they represent a stinging threat for visitors and workers, and may even damage grapes to feed upon their sugars. However, wasps are also beneficial, as they provide some pollination services and are predatory insects that help regulate other pestiferous vineyard species. Furthermore, not all social wasp species represent the same level of threat to vineyards, complicating the ability to find a healthy balance between the beneficial and pest aspects of this group of insects.
In 2015 and 2017, our lab led research to determine the seasonal pattern and species composition of social wasps in Wisconsin vineyards, since little was previously known about their presence in this area and crop system. Our current research is focused on determining whether yellowjackets are a primary or secondary pests to common grape varieties found in Wisconsin, and developing targeted push-pull strategies with chemical attractants and repellents to manage wasp pressure more effectively.
You can read more about how to identify social wasps and about the results of our 2015 and 2017 phenology study on page 10 of our team’s newsletter.