ASIAN GARDEN DECORATIONS

Thank you for visiting Andrew's Reclaimed. I'm happy to bring you my nest block for the Passaloecus "aphid wasps".

A few aphid-eating species of the wasp genus Passaloecus can be very beneficial for your garden, as they nest in pre-existing cavities in wood such as those drilled by wood-boring beetles, and "bring home the bacon" in the form of live aphids for their young.

The female Passaloecus first clear debris from the tunnel with their mandibles, then visit trees for resin droplets, and spread a ring of sticky resin around the nest entrance, to prevent other predatory insects from entry.

She'll then lay her eggs, while providing 25 or so aphids for each egg, in 7 to 15 cells per cavity ranging from 3/16 to 1/2" in length, pasting walls of resin between each egg cell. When the hole is full of eggs and aphids, she will seal off the entrance with an extra-thick layer of resin.

The best place to hang this block is on a post or a wall in a sunny east-facing spot near garden plants prone to aphid attack.

This block can be placed in May and June or when highs reach around 75 degrees. In many areas, the aphid eating wasps will be active through September. The developing young should be over-wintered in the block in a location that will be dry and cool, but not freezing, and hung up again when the weather nears 75 degrees the following year.

The tiny Passaloecus, about the length of a pencil eraser, is usually all black with transparent wings, and can be found hovering around shrubs, flowers and fruit-bearing plants, hunting for aphids.

My Aphid Buster Next Blocks are made from extra hard and dense reclaimed fir, and capped with a reclaimed cedar roof, to protect the cavities from rain. A stainless steel screw and wire is installed on the back, so it may be hung from a post or on a wall.

Nautical sculptures and nautical tables can add a touch of class to your decor. San Pacific Sculptures