Tons of wasps. Wasps everywhere and carpenter bees. It's insane. I don't recall it being like this when I was a kid.

I could barely mow my lawn last weekend. They just kept attacking me. Didn't even get to trim the edges because I was tired of being stung.

Maybe they're trying to tell you to stop mowing the lawn and start enjoying the meadow?

This might not apply to GP if they're not in an incorporated area, but in cities, the wasps should tell that to city councils, which tend to have established rules regarding height of lawns and weeds and such.

Good luck talking to them about it; you'll be labelled a green wacko one step removed from eco-fanatics who firebomb SUV dealerships. If you don't want or like proper suburban manicured lawns, maybe you shouldn't live around everyone else who does want them, would be their attitude.

Even if you dodge that hurdle by finding stuff that doesn't need mowing or edging, your neighbors are going to think you're crazy if your yard is all monkey grass or vines or cacti.

> Good luck talking to them about it; you'll be labelled a green wacko one step removed from eco-fanatics who firebomb SUV dealerships.

Yes, and? That's them projecting the weakness they actually do have inside them on you. To the degree you are free from weakness, their weakness will destroy them, so be the wall they splatter themselves against, be the water they drown in.

> your neighbors are going to think you're crazy if your yard is all monkey grass or vines or cacti.

If someone genuinely thinks a person who is otherwise acting perfectly normal is genuinely, clinically crazy because of some vines or weeds... there's a reason for that, too. If you end up with such neighbors, laugh your ass off and go about your day. Walk softly, carry a big stick, and let honesty be your biggest ruse. If you want to please everybody, you're going to be a hostage of the worst and then still die like all of us. So "cut the crap, fuck the rest."

“Enjoy” a meadow full of stinging insects?

First off, stinging insects hardly make up 100% of the biomass of a meadow, so if it's full of stinging insects, it's a bowl filled with stinging insects, not a meadow.

Secondly, http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/hort/wildgrdn.htm

> Where 'attracts insects' is mentioned you can assume that birds will also be consequently be attracted

https://www.kingsseeds.co.nz/Kings+Seeds+Blog/x_post/Plants-...

> But what if we are trying to DISCOURAGE insects from coming into our garden. After all, there are some we just get completely sick of. What can we sow to help us to repel the insects we don’t like? Here are some ideas for that:

Thirdly, if all fails, enjoy it with binoculars. You'll live. Heck, most people will even survive insect stings.

Just so we're clear here, you're whole argument here is that people shouldn't mow the lawn b/c it causes stinging insects, but at the same time doesn't cause stinging insects? What is your point exactly?

> Just so we're clear here, you're whole argument here is that people shouldn't mow the lawn b/c it causes stinging insects, but at the same time doesn't cause stinging insects? What is your point exactly?

Well if you read the link, I believe the point was that some plants attract stinging insects and others repel them. Also, stings. You'll live.

> Also, stings. You'll live.

As long as you're not allergic like I am. Sometimes nothing, other times... it no good.

And ticks.

Put a small amount of tick repellant _on yourself_ and check yourself for ticks after being out. Contrast that defensive strategy with an offensive strategy, which seems to be a tick apocalypse.

What do we need ticks for?

In my area, this is attributed to the mild winter last year.

Less butterflies and fish, more wasps and squids.

Thanks climate change!

thanks overfishing...

Same in rural Ohio, tons of both this year