Are there many wasps along the North Shore? (Chicago, Waukegan: how much, move)

[yourpalincal]

I have heard there are many wasps in the older North Shore areas such as Highland Park, Deerfield, Lake Forest, and Northbrook. Some have even told me there are many at the beaches in these areas during the day and that the parks are loaded with them in the sand and grass.
Is this true and how much of a problem is it?

[US-Traveller]

There are more bees than wasps, but they aren't noticable in most parks. I wish you would stop asking this question because it is going to become a flaming thread about race and socioeconomics. You've titled the thread North Shore, which is already enough to start responses, then you ad wasps, which most people think is WASPs.

[Anthera]

Yes in the late summer/fall there are lots of yellow jacket wasps along the NS. They are really everywhere in Chicago. They tend to congregate by food so if at the beach avoid the area by trash containers.

[yourpalincal]

Sorry, you misinterpreted this. We mean insects that sting!
Thanks for your response.

[cohdane]

There's an easy "McGyver" fix to yellow jackets at a picnic. Take a plastic soda bottle and cut off the top (curved section including spout at top). Invert the curved part and spout to make a funnel. Insert it, spout down, into the bottle. Pour some soda (don't need much) into the funnel. As you pour, move around the top of the funnel, so the whole funnel gets wet with soda.

The yellow jackets are attracted to the "smell" the funnel gives off. They crawl down it to find the source and-- voila-- get trapped inside the bottle unable to find the spout to exit.

I've done this many times and it works like a charm. They always find that bottle more attractive than any other food on the table.

[city414]

lol i figured it out....

[ihynes]

Originally Posted by cohdane

There's an easy "McGyver" fix to yellow jackets at a picnic.

cool

[chet everett]

Northbrook has a beach?

[trailerguy]

I got a kick out the title "wasps along the North Shore" and wanted to respond, "but dahling, what else?" but see several others beat me to it. We get them a lot up in Waukegan (which is North Shore but definitely not WASP). I've been stung all of once in 8 years. I'm not allergic, it was gone in a few minutes. Check under your eaves, knock of the nests when they are small, and RUN.