Yard & Garden Line News Volume 8 Number 2                                                               February 1, 2006

Features this issue: Watch for Wood Wasps Oh Deer, What To Plant? Editorial Notes

Watch for Wood Wasps
Jeffrey Hahn, Assist. Extension Entomologist

Wood Wasps Photo credit: Bunni Olson

There are a variety of insects that are attracted to dying and recently dead trees. If wood dries normally, these insects often survive, even if the wood is cut up for firewood or processed into lumber (assuming they weren't in the direct path of the saw). These insects then can be found in homes where firewood or lumber used in remodeling or construction projects are brought indoors.

A type of insect, associated with such wood, that people occasionally find inside is the wood wasp, family Xiphydriidae (pronounced zeye-phi-DREE-i-dee). This group belong to the order Hymenoptera which includes the wasps, bees, ants.

A wood wasp has a cylindrical body measuring between about 1/2 inch to almost 3/4 inch in length. It has a round, distinct head with moderate length antennae, often with a noticeable neck between the head and the thorax. The tip of the abdomen possesses a conspicuous ovipositor. Wood wasps are generally dark-colored but can also have white, yellow, or red markings.

There are 8 species of wood wasps that are common in the eastern U.S. of which at least three or four are found in Minnesota. Wood wasps are attracted to hardwood trees with decaying wood, although sometimes they attack trees that are generally sound. In Minnesota, common trees infested by wood wasps include birch, maple, elm, oak, hawthorn, and basswood. The most common wood wasp people find in Minnesota is Xiphydria mellipes (no common name). This wood wasp is about 1/2 - 5/8 inch long with a black body, white markings on the head and abdomen, and red legs. This species attacks birch.

Despite the size of this insect and its sudden appearance, it is harmless to people and property. Although it has an ovipositor, it does not sting. A wood wasp also will not attack any wood or wood products, like furniture, that is in the house -- it would only be interested in a hardwood tree, like birch, with the bark still intact. Wood wasps are short-lived once they are active and you would rarely see more than a few individuals at a time.

If the source of the problem is firewood, you can avoid problems with this insect (and other wood boring insects) by only bringing in as much wood as you plan to burn. Any unused firewood left in the warmth of the home could allow insects inside the wood to become active and emerge. If the wood wasps are in lumber, there isn't much you can do to prevent them from emerging. You can replace infested wood although it would be unusual for it to be severely infested. Otherwise just allow the insects to run their course. They will eventually go away on their own in a fairly a short time.

If you do encounter wood wasps, the only necessary control is physical removal. As they are short-lived and do not reinfest wood, insecticides are not needed or necessary for this minor problem.

Get the low down on this month's insect pests at Insects
http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/EntWeb/Ent.htm

Oh Deer, What To Plant?
Beth Jarvis, Yard & Garden

Bleeding heart.

The notion of living out in the country, or beside a never-to-be-developed nature area can be appealing to Minnesota gardeners. That is, until the morning those gardeners awake and find their flower gardens have been munched to nubbins by deer. Then, the situation may escalate to gardener vs. "rats with antlers".

Wildlife experts agree that when hungry, deer will eat pretty much anything. In spring, they or their young will often sample plants that will be ignored when more options are available. Deer-savvy gardeners know to by-pass hosta as it is the number one favorite among deer. But what can a gardener plant?

Based on a recent, totally unscientific, poll of Minnesota Master Gardeners, the following plants were most frequently named as not favored by the deer in the respondents' gardens.

Hybrid columbine Yellow lupines. Chelone and bee. Wild violet Jack-in-the pulpit Snow on the mountain Gasplant Shasta daisies Photo credit: Beth Jarvis

Ageratum, Ageratum houstonianum Allium, Allium spp. Anemone, Anemone spp. Anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum Aniseroot/Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata Artemisia, Artemisia schmidtiana Aster, Aster spp. Astilbe, Astilbe spp. Baby's Breath, Gypsophila paniculata Bachelor's-Button, Centaurea cyanus Baneberry, Actaea spp. Basil, Ocimum basilicum Beardtongue, Penstemon spp. Bellflower, Campanula spp. Bergenia, Bergenia cordifolia Black cohosh/snakeroot, Actaea (Cimicifuga) racemosa Blanket flower, Gaillardia x grandiflora Blazing star, Liatris spicata Bleeding heart, Dicentra spectabilis1 Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis Blue Indigo, Baptisia australis Borage, Borago officinalis Browallia, Browallia speciosa Bugle weed, Ajuga repens Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa Calendula, Calendula officinalis Calla, Zantedeschia spp. Candytuft, Iberis sempervirens Canna, Canna spp. Castor Bean, Ricinus communis Cat Mint/Catnip, Nepeta cataria Celosia, Celosia spp. Chinese lantern, Physalis alkekengi Chives, Allium schoenoprasum Chives-garlic, Allium odorum Cleome, Cleome hasslerana Columbine, Aquilegia spp.2 Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea Coral Bells, Heuchera sanguinea Coreopsis, Coreopsis spp. Cosmos, Cosmos spp. Cranesbill/wild geranium, Geranium maculatum Crocus, Crocus spp. Daffodils, Narcissus spp. Dame's rocket, Hesperis matronalis Datura, Datura spp. Daylilies, Hemerocallis spp. Delphinium, Delphinium spp. Dill, Anethum graveolens Dusty miller, Senecio cineraria Elecampane, Inula helenium Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus sp. Evening Primrose Oenothera spp. Ferns Fleabane, Erigeron spp. Foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia Forget-Me-Not, Myosotis sylvatica Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea Gas plant, Dictamnus albus Gladiolas, Gladiolus spp. Globe thistle, Echinops ritro Goatsbeard, Aruncus dioicus Goldenrod, Solidago spp. Grasses, Ornamental 1some nibbled 2Both eaten and ignored. Unsure if native is eaten as much as hybrids.

Heliopsis, Heliopsis helianthoides Heliotrope, Heliotropium arborescens Hyacinths, Hyacinthus orientalis Iris, Iris spp. (not Siberian) Jack in the Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum Japanese toad lily, Tricyrtis hirta Joe Pye weed, Eupatorium maculatum Kale, ornamental, Brassica oleracea var. Acephala Lady's mantle Alchemilla mollis Lamb's ears, Stachys byzantina Larkspur, Delphinium spp. Lenten rose, Helleborus x hybridus Licorice Plant, Helichrysum petiolare Ligularia, Ligularia spp. Lily of the Valley, Convallaria majalis Lisianthus, Eustoma grandiflorum Lobelia, Lobelia erinus Loostrife. Gooseneck, Lysimachia clethroides Lungwort, Pulmonaria saccharata Lupine, Lupinus spp. Maltese Cross, Lychnis chalcedonica Meadowrue, Thalictrum dioicum Mexican Sunflower, Tithonia rotundifolia Monarda/ Bee Balm, Monarda spp. ** Monkshood, Aconitum spp. Mullein, Verbascum spp. Oregano, Origanum vulgare Pachysandra, Pachysandra terminalis Peony, Paeonia spp. Periwinkle, Vinca minor Pincushion flower, Scabiosa sp. Poppy, Papaver spp. Potentilla, Potentilla fruticosa Prickly Pear cactus, Opuntia polycantha Queen Anne's Lace, Daucus carota Rosemary, Rosemarinus officinalis Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia Salvia, Salvia spp. Sea Holly, Eryngium spp. Sea Lavender, Limonium latifollium Shasta Daisy, Leucanthemum x superbum Snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus Snow on the Mountain (annual), Euphorbia marginata Solomon's seal, Polygonatum biflorum Spireas, Spirea spp. Spotted dead nettle, Lamium maculatum Spurge, Euphorbia spp. Sweet woodruff, Galium odoratum Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare Thyme, Thymus vulgaris Turtlehead, Chelone lyonii Verbena, Verbena spp. Veronica, Veronica spp. Violets, Viola spp.3 Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginica Wax Begonia, Begonia semperflorens Wild ginger, Asarum spp. Wishbone flower, Torenia fournieri Yarrow, Achillea spp. Yellow archangel, Lamiastrum galeobdolon Yellow foxglove, Digitalis grandiflora Zinnia, Zinnia spp. 3 Sometimes eaten.

Rick Abrahamson, County Extension Educator, Clay County, confirms many of the poll findings in a list offered on his county's website: http://www.co.clay.mn.us/Depts/Extensio/ExAPDeer.htm

Master Gardener Terry Yockey, from southeastern Minnesota, keeps a list on her website: http://www.northerngardening.com/deerplants.htm

University of Nebraska publishes an excellent wildlife reference series. Here is their list of plants deer distain: http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/pest/Nebline/deerplants.htm

Regarding coping strategies, Dan, a Master Gardener observed:
"We live in a wooded area. In fact the entire back portion of our 1.25 acre lot is wooded. Deer will often spend the night in those woods so we always have them around.

I have noticed they will taste almost anything, especially the young ones. However they do move away from some. I think it is a combination of texture and odor.

I have had excellent luck the past two years to the point where I now plant hostas on the edge the woods. I use some type of treatment every week. I think variety is the answer. One week I commercial spray, the next I use soap (Irish Spring), the following I make up a homemade mixture, etc. I also use Milorganite every where in my yard and lawn but do that in addition to the treatments.

I also have a larger dog. We take her hair whenever we brush her out and spread that around favorite plants. In addition, if she "messes" in the yard I scoop that up and deposit it in the woods along the line where woods meets lawn / flower beds. You have to put it somewhere so you might as well make good use out of it.

The trick is to train the deer to look elsewhere for their food. So I am very diligent in the spring. Last fall I stopped my treatments in early October and by the end of the month they had chopped everything off. I took just 2 weeks for them to figure it out."

So, if you find your botanical paradise passes for a salad bar when Odocoileus virginianus visits, you might consider picking your favorites from the plants listed above.

Editorial Notes

Pasque flower. Photo credit: Beth Jarvis

This is a short issue this month because Bob Mugaas had a death in the family as he was completing the article on non-selective, organic herbicide trials. That article will appear in the March 1 issue.

For April, Bob Mugaas will provide the data from the two-year perennial evaluation program that he, Janna Beckerman and a host of Master Gardeners conducted.

Please feel free to cut and paste any of the articles for use in your own newsletters. All we ask is that you give our authors credit.

Back issues Yard & Garden Line News are on the Yard & Garden Line home page at www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/.

Deb Brown will be answering a few gardening questions with Cathy Wurzer on MPR, the first Friday of January and February, at roughly 8:40 am. Then in March, she'll be back at her regular schedule, 10 am the first Friday of each month. The program is broadcast on KNOW 91.1 FM, and available state-wide on the MPR news radio stations. (Scroll down for map.)

For plant and insect questions, visit http://www.extension.umn.edu/askmg. Thousands of questions have been answered, so try the search option in the black bar at the top left of the board for the fastest answer.

If you would like to receive an e-mail reminder when the next issue of the Yard & Garden Line News is posted to the web, just send an e-mail to: listserv@lists.umn.edu (note: the second E in listserve is omitted), leave the subject line blank, then in the body of the message, type: sub yglnewslist or to unsubscribe, enter: unsub yglnewslist

Happy gardening!

Beth Jarvis
Yard & Garden Line Project Coordinator


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