wasps eating potato plant

inocybe

Can anyone solve this for me. I have a nice potato patch, and noticed today that I had one dying plant in the middle of lots of healthy ones. As I went to pull it up I realised that it was covered with wasps. They looked like they were chewing on the stem, yuck! Managed to get rid of it eventually, but what I want to know is did the wasps kill the plant, or were they attracted to an already dying plant? and why???
I checked around all other plants nearby, a huge range of garden plants and nothing else had wasps chewing on them

Outkast_IRE

was there an aphid or insect infestation, wasps are known to eat aphids (greenfly)

inocybe

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

was there an aphid or insect infestation, wasps are known to eat aphids (greenfly)

I couldn't really look closely:eek: but I don't think so. I'm pretty sure they were chewing at the stems, they were all in gangs taking turns to get at the same spots. Potato plant was yellow and wilted.

lottpaul

Wasps will not eat healthy plants - like Outkast said they were possibly eating insects on an already sick/dead plant or they were chewing parts of the dead stalk to bring away for nest building. You can actually hear the chewing and biting on a quiet day. Either way, there may be a problem with your potato plants but the wasps are not the cause

inocybe

lottpaul wrote: »

Wasps will not eat healthy plants - like Outkast said they were possibly eating insects on an already sick/dead plant or they were chewing parts of the dead stalk to bring away for nest building. You can actually hear the chewing and biting on a quiet day. Either way, there may be a problem with your potato plants but the wasps are not the cause

Thanks, I retrieved the plant from where I threw it - no insects on it. But the stem looks rotten at the bottom, so I have a potato problem. It's still very weird though, my garden is full of plants, lots of dead material, why so many wasps were crazy for one sick potato plant I don't know. Now where's that nest

lottpaul

inocybe wrote: »

But the stem looks rotten at the bottom, so I have a potato problem. It's still very weird though, my garden is full of plants, lots of dead material, why so many wasps were crazy for one sick potato plant I don't know. Now where's that nest

Have you sprayed for blight? It's been warm and moist - ideal blight weather.

And as for the nest ,,,,, a hedge, ditch etc - or the roof of a shed or house? Sit outside tomorrow with a nice drink and just follow the buzzzzz especially noticable at dusk etc as they gather in for the night.