Sandlot, sandlot, sandlot! If you grew up in the 80’s & 90’s, you are keenly aware of this rally cry. Not only is this classic film a nostalgic brew but also a recipe for understanding one of nature’s menacing marvels – the wasp!
The Loner
We start off the journey with a loner boy who is a bit of a misfit. He is prone to building things with his erector set. The story of each wasp colony begins similarly. Only the queen survives the long winter and emerges a bit of a loner herself. Additionally, her first instinct is to start building. Her erector set is paper mache destined to house her brood.
The Pool!
We could all relate to the non-die-hard desires to head to the pool on a hot July day. Work and practice can wait, cooling off with refreshing waters overcomes other desires. Similarly, pools of water are quite attractive to the wasp working crew. Not only do they find the water satisfying and refreshing, but they have learned that water holes are excellent hunting grounds.
Wendy Peffercorn
Speaking of the pool, the only female mating potential focal point is the elusive Wendy. The whole crew is drawn to her and only Squints pulls off the moves. Wasps have one queen that does the egg production. It isn’t until the end of the summer or beginning of fall that the queen starts to produce other potential queens that will attempt to find their own Squnts and start their own Sandlot.
Barf Buddies
One of the most memorable scenes in the classic flick is the tobacco and carnival ride combo. The inexperienced boys are excited about their chew though they don’t know exactly how to combine this with their adolescent digestive systems and functions. The red tides turn on everyone around them as they share their juices through centrifugal force. Adult wasps don’t have the right mouth parts to chew solid food, so they deliver their catches (other insects and arachnids) to the larvae that can process such food. The larvae then regurgitate a sweet nectar that the wasps feed on.
Tree House
Just as the wasps get their sweet treats from their tree houses (houses built from trees and some species built from trees into trees), the Sandlot crew enjoys some S’mores and legendary dog stories. I imagine as wasps are hanging around their tree houses, they are exchanging stories of legendary humans on the other side of the yard trying to kill them.
The Splitting Up
All good things must come to an end. At the end of the movie, the boys all split up to head their different directions. They split up into their own lives and adventures complete with success stories. Wasps look to do the same. Winter is tough to survive. Harsh temperatures, lack of food, predators that want to eat them, etc. all threaten the wasp’s survival. Those that do survive will start their own colonies. A wasp nest left to its process could transform into 10’s or 100’s of future colonies.
The Sandlot Sequels
While we can appreciate the original, it is hard to get in line with a sequel, or lots of sequels. I am fine with wasps doing their thing off in nature where they belong, but when they choose to hang out in our arena and rob our drinks and foods off of our patios, it is time for intervention. By finding their tree houses and eliminating the source, this terrorizing can be stopped. The wasp experts at Rove Pest Control have the specific knowledge necessary to know where to look for the nests and how to get rid of them. Reach out to a team member today to customize your wasp removal or prevention plan today.
