Wasps

[gs2011]

Hi,
I am in SouthEast Florida and have a smallish butterfly garden. Everything was fine for the first group of cats. Now, we keep losing our monarch cats. Yesterday, while working in the garden, I found out why. After fending off two wasp attacks on a monarch whose wings don't work well, I watched the wasps more closely. They are catching and eating the monarch cats right off the milkweed plants.

Any thoughts regarding what to do? The wasps appear to be paper wasps. They are quite brave -- I had to multiply 'flick' the one that was attacking the monarch.

One solution, I am considering netting a few of the milkweed plants. A second question arises with this though. If I do net an area, how will the cats be able to leave on their walkabout just before forming a 'j'?

Thank you for all your suggestions!

GS

[Mona Miller]

I have European Paper Wasp eating every thing up during the late spring, summer, and fall. I end up putting up a tent to raise butterflies or using a butterfly sleeve on large pots of milkweed. I also net the European Paper Wasp and stump them. A 2 liter soda bottle (empty), two bottles of beer and some string for hanging makes a good trap for European Hornets and Wasp in the summer. Pour the beer in the soda bottle and hang about 5 ft. high in semi-shaded area.

For further advice, use the search upper right and put in "paper wasp".