I appreciate you asking. The fact that wasps feed on other insects and hence control them makes them useful in the landscape. Even though certain wasps are regarded as annoyance pests, they are rarely dangerous or aggressive until provoked. Social wasps are often not violent until their nests are disturbed (yellowjackets may be an exception). Please refer to CSU Extension Fact Sheet 5.525, “Nuisance Wasps and Bees,” for more details on nuisance wasps.
The type of wasps present determines how to control them. If the wasps are sociable, destroying the nest might help reduce the number of wasps that visit your petunias, but there might be additional nests nearby. If the wasps are solitary, they can nest anywhere and are typically helpful, non-aggressive, and uncontrollable.
There aren’t many chemical control methods that will work unless the wasps are eating the petunias directly, which is doubtful. A systemic pesticide can be used to control a variety of plant-eating insects, however because plants absorb these chemicals, the insects must directly feed on the plants in order to come into touch with the insecticide. The wasps will be tough to manage with a contact insecticide due to their rapid mobility.
It’s possible that the wasps are drawn to your petunias because they provide a food supply (insects, sticky honeydew made by insects that feed on sap, like mealybugs or aphids), or possibly because they are getting their water from the flowers or leaves. Taking away attractants might make them less noticeable.
Make sure to use an insecticide that specifically mentions wasps on the label if using one. When spraying a pesticide, especially with flowering plants, extreme caution should be exercised because bees and other beneficial insects may be damaged. The use of several insecticides on flowering plants is strictly forbidden.
What kind of plant draws wasps?
Wasps and other stingers are an unavoidable summertime occurrence, particularly if your yard is a particularly inviting location for them. Due to the presence of a food source, some plants are more likely than others to draw wasps (like fruits, flowers, or other insects).
Wasps are actually quite helpful insects, both as pollinators and as predators of other bugs, despite the fact that this may not sound like good news. The easiest strategy to control wasp populations so you can benefit from having them around without running the risk of stings is to learn which plants are most likely to attract them.
Trees that attract wasps
Fruit trees almost often draw wasps, particularly paper wasps and yellow jackets. This is due to the fact that wasps enjoy sweet foods and will gather around trees that have ripe fruits so they can feed on juice.
Fig trees have a unique interaction with wasps despite the fact that practically all fruit trees can draw the insects. The 900 different species of fig wasps that pollinate each of the 900 different kinds of fig trees in the world have developed alongside fig trees.
Both fig trees and fig wasps have coexisted for so long that they are dependent on one another to thrive. The fig, which is actually an inflorescence—a collection of several flowers and seeds enclosed in a fleshy, bulb-like stem—is where the female fig wasp deposits her eggs.
The wasp pollinates the numerous tiny flowers inside while using the fig as a nursery for her unhatched young. The female fig wasp expires inside the inflorescence after finishing her task. The eggs hatch into larvae during the following few weeks, grow into adult fig wasps, and then emerge from the fig to start the cycle all over again.
You could stop eating figs altogether if you consider that you could swallow dozens of small wasps with each bite.
Flowers that attract wasps
Wasps and other stinging insects are attracted to flowering plants in particular. This is due to the fact that wasps are frequently seen buzzing around blooms and, like bees, feed on the sweet, energizing nectar provided by flowers. This is advantageous because wasps are pollinators and can enhance the general health of your vegetation.
Other plants that attract wasps
The fact that wasps eat other, less desirable bug species is just another advantage of having them around. Wasps will therefore be drawn to plants that are overrun by garden pests (including aphids, flies, and caterpillars). The wasps will feed on the other insects, protecting your plants from harm and reducing the number of pests in your yard.
Additionally, wasps gather honeydew, a sweet and gooey substance generated by aphids and other insects. Wasps can assist in lessening the damage by eliminating honeydew, which can cover extensive regions of infected plants if left unchecked and promote the development of black, sooty mold.
Should you try to get rid of wasps in your yard?
Wasps are incredibly helpful insects to have around even though they may not be everyone’s favorite insects. Many people are frightened off by wasps because of their propensity to sting, but in reality, most wasp species won’t attack humans unless their nest is under danger.
Wasps, on the other hand, spend the majority of their time pollinating flowers and controlling pest populations. Your garden and plants can thrive if there are a sufficient number of wasps in your backyard!
However, there are a few things you may do to deter wasps in your backyard if you still wish to lessen their population.
Pick up fruit as soon as it falls
In your garden, if you have a fruit tree, you’ve definitely seen that it serves as a gathering place for a variety of insects, including wasps. The easiest strategy to deter wasps is to keep an eye on your crop because they are attracted to the fruit. Pick fruit as soon as it ripens, and constantly pick up fallen fruit to prevent insects from gathering there.
Plant certain types of flowers
Wasps adore flowers, but some varieties may draw them in more than others. Wasps are thought to be attracted to blue, purple, white, and yellow flowers more than warmer, reddish-orange ones. Wasps, like bees, are active during the day, so they won’t be drawn to plants with evening flowers, such as jasmine and evening primrose.
Petunias: do hornets like them?
Because hornets eat on both the fragrant secretions and the insects that come by to have a meal, nectar-producing flowers attract hornets to the yard. In addition, a lot of these same flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Annuals “bloom continually through the season, providing a steady supply of nectar,” claims the University of Minnesota Extension. Hornets will stay in the area as long as there is a consistent supply. Asters, petunias, nasturtiums, and bee balm are a few examples of such annuals that produce nectar. Yarrow, purple coneflower, and butterfly weed are examples of perennials. Because their position will give a food source throughout the growing season when the flowering times overlap, gardeners who utilize a mix of annuals and perennials, shrubs and fruit-bearing plants are likely to have more hornets.
- Because of the flowers, sap, and insect prey that visit flowering bushes, shrubs, and ornamental trees, hordes are also drawn to them.
- Watermelon, muskmelon, and honeydew are examples of sweet fruit crops that produce fragrant fruits that attract hornets to your yard.
What draw people to petunias?
Petunias can be produced from potted plants or from seeds that are started early indoors and moved outside after a frost.
Indoor Seed Sowing
- Use a seed starting kit to indoor sow petunia seeds eight to ten weeks before the last frost.
- Seeds should be thinly sown and barely pressed into seed starter mix. Don’t bury under earth.
- At 70 to 75 degrees, keep the soil moist.
- Seedlings appear after 10 to 14 days.
- As soon as seedlings appear, give them lots of light on a sunny windowsill or grow them 3–4 inches beneath 16–hour-per-day fluorescent plant lights that are off for eight hours at night. As the plants get taller, turn up the lights. Because they will become too hot, incandescent bulbs will not function in this process. Do not leave lights on continuously for 24 hours; most plants need a time of darkness to flourish.
- when they have two sets of leaves, thin to one seedling per cell.
- Seedlings don’t require a lot of fertilizer; feed them when they are 3–4 weeks old with a starter solution (half the strength of an indoor plant food), as directed by the manufacturer.
- After the first frost, transplant hardened-off seedlings into the garden.
- Seedling plants must be “hardened off” before being planted in the garden. By relocating young plants to a protected area outside for a week, you can acclimate them to outside circumstances. At first, be sure to shield them from the wind and the light. If frost is expected at night, cover or bring pots inside; then, in the morning, reintroduce them to the outdoors. The plant’s cell structure is toughened during the hardening off process, which also lessens transplant shock and scorching.
In the Garden, Plant Potted Plants:
- Choose a place with good, rich, moist, well-drained organic soil and full sun.
- Turn the soil under to a depth of 8 inches to prepare the bed. To get rid of grass and stone clumps, level the area using a rake.
- The majority of plants do well in soils that have had organic matter added. Compost is a beautiful organic material that can be applied to your planting area whenever you like. It has the perfect pH level and nutrient balance. If compost is not available, topdress the soil with 1-2 inches of organic mulch after planting; this mulch will break down into compost over time. Following the growth season, a soil test will reveal what soil amendments are required.
- In the garden, plants should be spaced 6 to 12 inches apart.
- For each plant, create a hole that is sufficiently large to hold the root ball.
- Set the top of the root ball so that it is level with the dirt around it. Up to the top of the root ball, cover with soil.
- Your hand should firmly push the earth down, leaving a small depression to hold water around the plant.
- Water deeply until a puddle appears in the saucer you have made. As a result, there is strong root-to-soil contact and the plants become established.
- Use the plant tag to indicate its location.
How to Grow
- Keep weeds under control while the plants are growing. Weeds compete with plants for water, space, and nutrients, therefore keep them in check by frequently cultivating or by using a mulch to stop the germination of their seeds.
- Mulches also support stable soil temperatures and moisture retention. Shredded leaves used as an organic mulch for annual plants give the bed a more natural appearance and, as they decompose over time, enrich the soil. Mulches should never be placed on a plant’s stems to avoid potential decay.
- During the growing season, make sure plants are well-watered, especially during dry spells. The growing season requires roughly 1 inch of rain every week for plants. To determine whether you need to add water, use a rain gauge. The optimum irrigation method is a drip or trickling system that releases water at low pressure directly into the soil. To reduce disease issues, water early in the day if you want to use overhead sprinklers so the foliage has time to dry before dusk. Maintain a moist but not saturated soil.
- Some protection from strong winds and intense sunlight may be required until plants grow established. Additionally essential is good airflow.
- A mild fertilizer can be administered after new growth starts to show. To prevent burn damage, keep granular fertilizers away from the plant’s top and leaves. Use moderate amounts of a slow-release fertilizer because greater amounts could promote root rots.
- To promote flowering and stop the production of seeds, remove wasted flower spikes. Plants’ growth tips can be pinched to promote bushiness.
- Observe for illnesses and pests. For advice on pest management measures that are suitable for your area, contact your cooperative extension service.
- In order to prevent disease problems the next year, remove plants that have been killed by frost in the fall.
Growing Tips
- Cut back straggly petunia plants by half in the late summer to promote growth and the development of new flowers.
- Petunias make lovely edging plants and can be used in mixed plantings with other annuals that bloom in the summer. They look fantastic alone or in combination with other flowers in pots of different shapes and sizes.
- Hummingbirds and moths are drawn to the yard by petunias.
Common Disease Problems
Aster Yellows: Plants grow excessively, become stunted, and develop witch’s brooms. Their petals also turn green and become malformed. Leafhoppers propagate this virus-like ailment. Burpee advises removing diseased plants and managing leafhopper populations. Eliminate any weeds in the area that the illness can also live on.
Botrytis: This fungus turns flowers, leaves, stalks, and buds a greyish color. It thrives in chilly, rainy weather. Burpee advises removing the damaged plant sections, avoiding watering at night, and not watering directly on the plant. Make sure plants receive adequate airflow. For advice on fungicides, get in touch with local cooperative extension service.
One of the most frequent issues when beginning plants from seed is damping off. The seedling appears healthy when it first emerges, but then it mysteriously begins to droop and die. A fungus that causes damping off is active when there is a lot of moisture present when the soil, air, and temperature are above 68 degrees F. This typically means that the soil is either too moist or heavily fertilized with nitrogen. Burpee advises keeping seedlings moist but not overwatering them, avoiding overfertilizing them, thinnng out seedlings to prevent overcrowding, ensuring the plants have good air circulation, and if you are planting in containers, washing them thoroughly in soapy water and rinsing them in a 10% bleach solution after use.
Fasciation is the unnatural flattening of stems, which can give them the impression of being joined. Often, distortion starts to appear in the plant’s base. It usually enters the plant through a wound and is brought on by a virus or bacteria. Burpee advises being extremely cautious when handling plants. Any plants that exhibit disease symptoms should be removed and destroyed.
When the weather is humid, a fungus illness known as powdery mildew develops on the tops of the leaves. The surface of the leaves seems to be white or grayish, and they may curl. Burpee advises giving the plants adequate air circulation through optimum spacing and pruning in order to prevent powdery mildew. For advice on fungicides, get in touch with local cooperative extension service.
Common Pest and Cultural Problems
Aphids are disease-carrying sucking insects that feed on the undersides of leaves and can be green, red, black, or peach in color. On the foliage, they deposit a sticky substance that draws ants. Burpee advises attracting or introducing aphid-eating predators like lady beetles and wasps into your garden. You can also use an insecticidal soap or a powerful spray to wash them away.
Cyclamen mite: By suckling juice from leaves and stems, these mites harm plants. They proliferate quickly in hot, dry conditions. They are only seen with the aid of a magnifying glass. Plants may not blossom and will appear stunted and deformed. Flowers will have streaks, blotches, and distortions. The leaves may cup, curve, get smaller and thicker. Burpee’s Advice Infested plants should be thrown away. Don’t work with plants that are infected. In dry conditions, keep plants well-watered. For advice on insecticides for severe infestations, contact local cooperative extension service.
Leafhoppers: These insects damage leaves and retard growth. Moreover, they spread sickness. Burpee advises clearing up plant detritus. Use soaps with insecticides. For additional advice on insecticides, contact local cooperative extension service.
Spider mites: These minuscule insects, which resemble spiders, are approximately the size of a peppercorn. They can be yellow, brown, black, red, or black. They ingest plant liquids, sucking out chlorophyll and injecting poisons that leave the foliage with white spots. On the plant, webbing is frequently seen. They cause the leaf to stipple, dry, and become yellow. They proliferate swiftly and do best in dry environments. Burpee’s Advice Every other day, a strong spray can help control spider mites. Try using insecticidal soap or hot pepper wax. For advice on miticides, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service.
Thrips: Thrips are little, straw- or black-colored, needle-like insects. They attack flower petals, leaves, and stems while sucking plant liquids. The leaf surface of the plant will show stippling, discolored flecking, or silvering. Numerous illnesses can be transported from plant to plant by thrips. Burpee advises placing sheets of aluminum foil between plant rows to deter many thrips. After the first frost, remove all weeds from the bed and any debris. For information on pest control, contact your cooperative extension service.
FAQ
Why did my petunias produce a stripe or change color in the summer? Petunias can change color or develop a stripe when it becomes too warm since they are sensitive to high temperatures. New blooms will return to their original hue as the weather cools.
What petunia has self-cleaning qualities? Petunias of the Wave variety, including “Baby Duck,” are all self-cleaning and don’t need to be deadheaded.
Why are “Shock Wave” petunia seeds different from standard petunia seeds? For convenience of handling, “Shock Wave” petunia seeds are pelleted. The covering will degrade once seeds are pressed into the soil and can be misted off.
What draw something to the garden? Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other helpful insects are drawn to petunias.
I need Wave petunias for a 12-inch hanging basket, how many should I buy? For a 12-inch hanging basket, three Wave-varieties plants and four other mounding-habit species are the perfect number.