What birds eat wasps and such?

[mrs.H]

Hi all,
the wasps and yellow jackets seem to be targeting my kids. They don't bother me,?. What birds or other predators can I encourage to help get rid of some. Hot Shot insecticide works great, but I can't follow my kids around all day. And I don't want to spray them on accident! Or the goats, or my pending garden site. And it's kind of expensive. Any helpful advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[Maura]

Someone on the board had suggested painting Vaseline or similar product around their nesting holes if they are nesting in your house. I tried it and it worked great. Chickens will eat bees, as well as ticks and fleas.

[CarolT]

Smell and color both attract bees and wasps. Make sure the kids wear colors that don't look like flowers or fruit and don't use the fruity soaps a lot of kids adore :-) At least when they'll be outside. Fruit, bubble gum and candies can draw them, too.

[Schmidt]

I've been watching the Mockingbirds around my house eat them lately. They are the only ones that I have noticed eating them.

[Rick]

Mix some Dawn Detergent in a couple of spray bottles. If you or the kiddies douse them, they can no longer fly, and die.

Makes it easier to grind the hardy little buggers under your boot for spite, too.

[CIW]

Put a sprayer on a bottle of 70% rubbing alcohol. Find where the nest is at and wait till evening when they are all back there.
Just start spraying the opening and they will start to come out. Keep spraying until no more come out. Saturate the area.
The alcohol is cheap and works quickly at killing them. If you can get to the nest it will also kill the forming pupa.

[RedDirt Cowgirl]

Think this is the deal - even with no nests nearby, yellow jackets and other little bitie things will zero in on kids who have been around sweets, cookies, Kool-aid and weinies, or just being wet from playing with water. What kid isn't a bit sticky in the summer?

Originally Posted by CarolT

Smell and color both attract bees and wasps. Make sure the kids wear colors that don't look like flowers or fruit and don't use the fruity soaps a lot of kids adore :-) At least when they'll be outside. Fruit, bubble gum and candies can draw them, too.

[stormwalker]

I can't help you!
I like my wasps et al!
Are they swatting at them?
I find if you are still they don't become agitated.

[Reb]

To your original question - barn swallows, bats, purple martins. Depending on your location. Reb

[davel745]

We had those black birds with the ivory tummies with the swept back wings. build two nests in our basement and raise there young a few years ago and after the tenants left I removed there nests and there were a lot of wasps and bees in the nests. I don't know if they eat them but they catch them.

[mrs.H]

Thank you all so much. My boy is getting the worst of it. He likes to use those scented manly shower gels instead of my bar soap. I'll tell him that his shower gel may be attracting them. The last time he was stung, the wasp actually flew around me (I saw it and watched it), across the yard and stung him on the neck. I was standing under and looking up at the nest and spraying it with the hot shot and told him to go stand way over there.