I had a problem with this last year - the ants and aphids and yellow jackets were all over my red noodle beans. I watered which helped chase off some of the yellow jackets - but it was still hard to pick due to ants. Good luck!

Cindy

Last year I hung a pop bottle full of fruit juice (rotten watermelon) and dish soap on the trellis. Within a few days many of the wasps were inside the trap. If you don't want to kill them, try putting out a plate of jelly or honey or sugar water nearby, they may flock to that instead and let you pick beans in peace.

Whatever the wasps consume from the vines (mostly from the extra-floral nectaries, the bumps below the flowers), it seems to pacify them. Their behavior is far less aggressive than I have come to expect, especially given the large numbers which frequent the vines in late Summer. Must be some good wasp happy juice... wish I could synthesize it & feed it to the wasps around my house. ;-)

I've only been stung once, and that was when I actually grabbed a wasp that was on the back side of a pod I was picking. Even then, the wasp didn't appear to be angry. Chances are, if you move carefully, the wasps will be no problem. Just avoid grabbing the tops of the pods, and snip the stems with a scissors (this avoids most of the ants too).

Ants are also attracted to the nectaries. They defend the vines vigorously, and there seems to be one on every flower stalk. Usually they are black ants, which are just annoying; but several years I had carpenter ants in the vines, and they bite. Some ants will also farm aphids on the vines.

The wasps are beneficial, they will feed on the aphids as well... about the only thing that will fight through the ants which defend them.

Another way that wasps are beneficial is that they will take caterpillars and grubs from your plants during the summer to feed to their larvae. They eat sugar late in the year to live over the winter on.

Thanks cindy-eatonton, happyday and zeedman!

I was able to harvest some beans tonight! DH and I went out a little after 9PM when it was completely dark -- the wasps and yellow jackets were completely gone!! We looked carefully with flashlights just to be sure. The neighbors already think we are nutty when we water our EarthBoxes in the rain. They will have no doubt when they see us harvesting beans by flashlight and auto headlights....

zeedman,
I have observed the wasps when they frequent these yardlong beans and they indeed are docile. Normally when there are wasps around our yard they are quite belligerent. The nectar from the yardlongs would be nice to have in spray form.

Thanks again,
DL

I can attest to the benefits of the wasps in the garden - I was able to grow broccoli this year without needing to use a single dose of BT - the cabbage worms and loopers never had a chance - the wasps were out starting late March, patroling. :-)

Be careful, my Chinese wife got nailed by a yellow jacket while tending to her long beans yesterday... They seem fairly aggressive already this year (the yellow jackets that is....)

Zeedsman says," Must be some kind of wasp happy juice....Wish I could synthesize it to feed the wasps around my house."
I'd like to collect it or synthesize it to feed to the wife IN my house. Lol.

Zeedman's explanation fits my observations exactly. I get loads of wasps around my cowpeas but they never sting or even threaten me. I can work in the midst of them and they ignore me.

Jim

John, there may be a nest nearby. Yellow jackets will get aggressive to protect the nest. Look for short rising flights. If they get excited and bob up and down in the air over a certain place, there is a nest there.

Thanks Happyday. I have looked... but my eyes are not what they used to be....

Our Asian cucumbers share the opposite side of the bean trellis, so we have spent a lot of time in the area. Hmmm?

My neighbor complained of the number of yellow jackets too, which makes me think this fall will be crazy with them.

Take care.

John, there are wasp and yellow jacket traps for sale at Menards and other places, and if you or your neighbors find the nest, then you can do something about it. If your neighbors or wife have sharper eyes, get them to help find the nest.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to find a yellow jacket nest

Thank you again for your help Happyday. Finally some rain over here, hopefully it will help push the garden along....

John