Strange behavior by wasps??

[naturegirl]

My friends have a wasps nest (football sized) outside their kitchen window.

The other day they said that the whole nest was covered with HUGE wasps/hornets? all on the outside.

Needless to say I was there (carefully) within minutes of being told this.

As this was the next day all I saw was 1 rather innactive normal wasp.

My logic (female ) says that they were all queens which had flown off to hide up over the winter to start another colony next year.

Is this correct?

Naturegirl

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by naturegirl

My friends have a wasps nest (football sized) outside their kitchen window.

The other day they said that the whole nest was covered with HUGE wasps/hornets? all on the outside.

Needless to say I was there (carefully) within minutes of being told this.

As this was the next day all I saw was 1 rather innactive normal wasp.

My logic (female ) says that they were all queens which had flown off to hide up over the winter to start another colony next year.

Is this correct?

Naturegirl

That would be my assumption, given those facts.

[mrs fish]

Can they get invaded by other wasps/hornets,bees and wiped out ?

That sounds like something good to see naturegirl

[RED]

Originally Posted by mrs fish

Can they get invaded by other wasps/hornets,bees and wiped out ?

I remember watching 'hornets from hell' a while back where a beehive was invaided by hornets, poor bees trying to stave them off but these hornets were >3x their size, and the invasion nearly wiped them all out =(

These were japanese giant hornets tho.


Youtube vid of the attack

[naturegirl]

Thanks for that guys!

I saw that documentary too, poor things!

Bees have the ability to 'overheat' predators which made me quite happy!

They all pile onto the invader which causes a huge increase in temperature and kills the perpetrator , and kills some bees too.

Amazing how nature adapts!!!

Naturegirl

[derelict]

Originally Posted by naturegirl

My friends have a wasps nest (football sized) outside their kitchen window.

Naturegirl

Your neighbours are to be greatly commended. I have never understood the fetish for destroying wasp nests. The bigger they are the less problems you will have in your garden (and as a bonus no need for insecticides) and it's a very big garden that can support a wasp colony 2 years running. For years I have longed for a wasp nest of my own... it's gotten to the point where I would settle for hornets. One day... But in the nature of things I just get people telling me about nests they have had destroyed. And there are the tragic cases of horntails being killed and presented as hornets.

[naturegirl]

Thanks for that Derelict! I shall tell my friends how good they are!

They are nature lovers and wouldn't knowingly harm any wildlife which is why I love 'em so!!

In my old house I had Hornets nesting at the top of my garden for at least 10 years!! They were never any problem to us and it was a delight to see them going about their business up and down the garden. They would use my fence panels to scrape off the pulp for their nest, very noisy it was too!!

My children learned such a lot from watching nature in this way.

As someone who reacts VERY badly to stings etc. I don't like wasps anywhere near me I'm afraid. I am always rushed by ambulance to hospital and last time I was very ill from just 1 sting, very scary!!!

Naturegirl