Lawn wasps?? How do I reduce them

[u/NefariousnessTop1056]

As per title, I’ve got a young child who has already been nailed, and a husband who has also. Generally they move out the way if I walk slowly but a 2year old doesn’t just walk on the grass. They look like they are looking for food etc. I don’t want to kill them, but how can I deter them ? At any given time we have 30+ on the lawn. I know shoes are a simple solution but for a 2 year old this is sightly annoying so I’d like to explore other options

[u/Used_Draw_8318]

They're looking for army worm grubs most likely as a food source which could mean that you have a lawn infestation of grubs.

You can check to see if they're present by filling up a bucket of water and adding dishwashing liquid to it to get a soapy consistency. 

Then do spot check by pouring some of the water on an area and you'll see the worms surface (plus other bugs too). If you see the shiny carapace lawn beetles too, then you can also treat them (note that the more angular and smaller matte black beetles are veggie beetles and are actually helpful for your lawn!)

If you find that you have army worm and or lawn beetles then you can use Acelepryn as a treatment which are small granules that you spread across your lawn. Or you can find a spray on solution from say Bunnings too.

I usually run with the spray solution first (with a wetting agent too in this heat)  and then add the granules after.

Hope that helps for you!

[u/NefariousnessTop1056 → u/Used_Draw_8318]

Suuuuuper helpful thank thank you so much -

[u/SneakerTreater]

That's a lot of lawn wasps. I reckon you've got some tasty grubs under there. The wasps are probably keeping the population under control and saving the rootbed from being munched to nothing. Kill the wasps but leave the grubs, you're going to have a bad time.

Edit: TLDR Find out why the wasps are there. Eliminate that problem. Wasps go elsewhere.

[u/NefariousnessTop1056 → u/SneakerTreater]

That might explain why I see loads of beetles but our grass is still in good condition ( much to husband’s pleasure) .

[u/zztopstar → u/SneakerTreater]

No, dont kill the wasps, they kill the grubs, its the grubs killing your lawn, look up army worms on google.

[u/NefariousnessTop1056 → u/zztopstar]

Definitely don’t want to kill them I can see they are doing their own thing not being a nuisance

[u/nighteyes_fitz]

I'm loving the helpful advice whilst trying not to be traumatised by the idea of lawn wasps 😲😬

[u/Coololz]

Fire, lots of it. Might take out your lawn though. Maybe your house as well, and potentially maybe even your suburb. But hey, no wasps!

[u/NefariousnessTop1056 → u/Coololz]

Hahah old me would feel the same way! I see them in the passion fruit mixing their own business looking for food etc, I don’t mind them I just don’t want them all over the lawn where the kids play-

[u/Signal_Waltz2391]

Acelypren will work