Why an English Manor Is Deploying Wasps and Moths

[DGUtley]

Why an English Manor Is Deploying Parasitic Wasps and Moth Pheromones — Conservators are trying to protect historic treasures—but it’s all more subdued than it sounds.

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BATTLE WASPS, TO WAR!

AT least that’s the way it sounded when conservators in England recently announced that they were going to deploy an army of wasps to fight a moth infestation at a stately manor home. But alas, the reality is less an epic battle and more like a quirky rom-com (with a little parasitism thrown in).

Blickling Hall, reportedly the birthplace of Anne Boleyn and a celebrated example of both Jacobean and Georgian architecture, is under attack. Mild weather in eastern England and other factors have resulted in a population boom in common clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella), which can munch their way through tapestries, textiles, and other treasures.

So to tackle the infestation, the National Trust, which manages the property, is trying an innovative, multi-tiered approach, including wasps that parasitize moth eggs. When word got out that Blickling would introduce an army of parasitic wasps, some media outlets took the militaristic imagery and ran with it.



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https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/blickling-hall-wasps-moths-battle

[stjames1_53]

Once their job is done, how do they get rid of the wasps?

[countryboy]

Once their job is done, how do they get rid of the wasps?

Shop vacs.