Well, if it is a small patch as you say, you could cover it with a big piece of spun-bonded polyester row cover when the first berries are just starting to turn color. Or some other similar lightweight fabric mesh that allows air, light, and water to get through but would keep out the bugs.

Something along the lines of what I am posting in the link would work. You can use a stapler to easily piece together lengths of it into wider sheets, or do a google search, and you can find suppliers that sell it in all kinds of widths and lengths.

Here is a link that might be useful: Polyester row cover

Thanks.

I have a couple of questions.

Can I drape this directly over the plants, or will they get tangled in the canes?

Will this decrease the sunlight, resulting in less sweet berries?

last years plague .. may not be an issue at all this year ...

you might be worrying about nothing ...

but that shouldnt stop you form being proactive ..

you might want to contact your LOCAL county extension office.. and see if they noticed last years plague..

ken

I trap with a quart jar half full with water. Add some strawberry jam, and sugar to the jar. your jar will fill up with yellow jackets.

Yes, you can drape the lightweight row cover directly over the plants, it's so light it doesn't hurt them, and it doesn't hold water to speak of, so even when it rains not a problem.

I'm interested in this thread as yellow jackets become a real problem for me late in the summer. I've tried sugar liquid traps, and you'll get a couple of 'em, but I think they just rather go for the berries. The best protection I found is prevention... they like the over-ripe berries the best, and if you pick every day carefully, the berries never get overripe, and the yellow jackets are less interested.
-Glenn

I think Glenn is right, about the over ripe berries. Also, if you plant some butterfly bushes (just the common purple ones) nearby...the yellow jackets might calm down a bit. There's something in the butterfly bushes (not sure what) but the yellow jackets love to sit on the bushes and they almost act a little drunk.

You can also plant some catmint (on the opposite side of the raspberries, from the butterfly bushes) and this should bring in the bumblebees...if you have any, in your area. I've noticed the bumblebees seem to be push the yellow jackets, out of their area. The two will coexist, but the bumblebees seem to be in charge...and the yellow jackets retreat to another area, of the yard.

When the raspberries are blooming...you'll probably get the bumblebees and anything else coming over to check out the berrries...but again, the oldest, overly ripe berries, seem to cause the most problems. Oh, and picking early in the morning or early in the evening, might help, too.

Good luck with your berries :)

Nothing was noted about pesticides or other organic methods. We are having a larger scale problem, since we are commercial. We want to continue organic methods, but it is very tempting to apply whatever works. We have kept the patch clear of over-ripe berries, now they are going after the not-so-ripe.

Has anyone had success with planting any other companion plants, or other organic methods to deter these ravenous creatures? And, any success with any pesticides that won't harm the bees? We are at this point loosing over 50% of our fall crop.

Thanks

Sheri, have you tried massive trapping? I get reasonable control this way although in heavy years it can take a week or two to kill enough wasps to begin to see results.

I'm sort of fearless. I smash them with my thumb and forefinger. They make me so angry. In previous years I've watched for the queens when they emerge in the spring. They fly around my garden looking for a place to build their nest. When I see one buzzing near the ground, I quietly walk up, get on my knees, and prepare to smash them into the ground with my hands. I use my hands because I'm almost never prepared with a fly swatter. Plus, swatters won't work because the ground surface isn't flat like a counter or table top. I have never been stung by the queens, even though they are larger. This summer is the first time I've been stung by the workers and that's because I'm now 72 and slowing down. Carpal tunnel surgery in my left hand hasn't healed properly and I reach for two or three that are devouring a berry and I only get one wasp if I'm lucky. I used to be really gleeful when I got all 3. So that's how I got stung this year. I got one and the other was stuck in the smashed berry (that berry was a goner anyway). I couldn't see it and it got me. I was surprised how unpainful that sting was. It tingled afterwards and itched like crazy when I got back to the house, but Benadryl Gel took care of that. This is a really bad year. I've never seen so many yellow jackets. I've actually gotten too discouraged to stand there killing my back to walk home with only one quart of undamaged berries at a time when I should be getting six.