Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Tuesday - November 26, 2013

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Is a wasp colony in hollow in my oak tree harming it?
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

I have wasps colonizing a hollow portion of a live oak here in my backyard in Austin ten feet from my backdoor. They are yellow and black banded, maybe an inch long. Two questions: 1. Are they hurting the tree? This live oak is very large, perhaps 700 years old, and the hollow is in a structurally critical part of the trunk. 2. If I have to kill them, what can I use that won't hurt the tree?? Help, please.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants consulted a colleague who is an entomologist, and his guess is that you have yellow jackets (Vespula squamosa ). They are probably not harming the tree, but are using an existing cavity to build their nest.  The colony was established by a single queen, and could contain as many as 4,000 workers.  This link  on wasp control urges caution when trying to eliminate a colony because of the high numbers of wasps involved. Colder months is a better time for eradication because the wasps are less active. The insecticides used for eradication probably won’t harm the tree.

This link from TAMU  explains more about the yellow jackets,  and bugguide.net  has some interesting images.

Mr. Smarty Plants would probably leave the colony alone if the wasps were not being too aggressive.

 

More Trees Questions

Speed of growth on plants from Plant Sale from Austin
April 28, 2012 - Hello, I recently attended the native plant sale and bought several plants for a sunny curbside bed in central Austin. Due to financial constraints I stuck with the 3 inch varieties so I could buy 3 ...
view the full question and answer

Average lifespan of Pinchot's Juniper from Golden CO
August 23, 2011 - What is the average lifespan of Juniperus coahuilensis (syn. Juniperus texensis) trees?
view the full question and answer

Are American sycamore or hybrid poplar trees toxic to dogs in San Antonio?
August 26, 2009 - We anticipate planting an American Sycamore or a Hybrid Poplar tree in our back yard but we have several small dogs and are concerned that they may eat some of the leaves. Do either of these trees po...
view the full question and answer

Dealing with live oak suckers in Central Texas
March 05, 2015 - Hi, I have a couple huge Live Oak trees in my back yard. Trunks are 4' in diameter. These Live Oaks produce a lot of root sprouts/suckers. I had always head that a tree's roots feed on water/oxyg...
view the full question and answer

Do leaves with tannins make good compost from Austin
November 04, 2010 - I have a couple of old native pecan trees in my (or neighbor's) yard that drop bushels and bushels of leaves every fall. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I have a recollection that pecan leaves have...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.