Queen Wasps

[Luna_Raine]

Hi, in the past week I have had three queen wasps in my conservatory. I assume this is what they are from the sheer size of them and they are lone. Could anyone tell me why this might be? Are they likely to be coming in from outside or are they already here?

I live in a modern bungalow and the conservatory is open to the rest of the house, but these three have only been in any other room.

Also, while I am on striped buzzy things, this year and last year, we have had the most enormous bees, they are picture book in appearance but are monstrous in size, last weeks was as long as the barrel on a yale key. I'm on the north coast in cornwall. I looked up bee sizes last year and they seem to be bigger than anything we apparently have in this country. Very cute and absurdly large.

Thanks for any help, specially on the wasp thing, I'm off to research The Waspinator.

Lorien

[Cowgirl]

Hi Luna,

The wasps will have been hibernating in various small spaces in your conservatory. They will have crawled in there in the autumn. I have had some fall from the box where my central heating pipes go through the ceiling. I also used to get them hibernating in the folds of curtains in my spare room. I just give them a quick drink of sugary water to boost them after the hibernation, open a window & let them go. They will then go off & find a place to nest.
They won't do you any harm until you try to harm them (& I'm petrified of them, but trying to appreciate them as part of nature).

I don't know much about bees but they sound like queens as well. If you can get some pictures with possibly a ruler (or a Yale key!) next to them, so the size of them is apparent, then I'm sure an expert will be able to identify them for you.

[Jason Green]

Afternoon Lorien, and welcome to WAB!

I would assume them to may be awakening from hibernation - or just getting trapped whilst seeking potential nesting sites. Maybe the latter, because you're in the south where I'd have expected them to already become active.

As for identifying which wasps they are, as Cowgirl says a photograph would be needed. One of the abdomen, the thorax and a side-on should suffice

Take care,

Jason

[Luna_Raine]

Thanks for both your replies. I shall endeavor to take a picture if I'm unfortunate enough to have any more, but they're all really brightly coloured and you can see every detail on their faces. Quite incredible but I really don't like wasps and I have three little ones so it worries me that they'll get 'got'.

Out of interest, is it likely that they would all have hibernated in the same place? Would they not have sensed or smelt one another or something. I'm a bit clueless when it comes to the finer details of wasps to'ing and fro'ing. I will say this though, these three did not seem that aggressive. One did not make it out alive i'm afraid but the other two really did seem to want to get out.

As for the Bee, I did take pics, so i'll upload them and see what you think. Although I did think that queen bees' had a white dot on them. I could, however, have dreamt that!

Cheers

[thunder]

I have only ever found queen wasps hibernating singly (though that doesn't mean they don't hibernate in groups!). I expect there are several places in your conservatory where they could hide - and it is possible they were in another part of the house but headed straight for the conservatory when they woke as being the brightest place (meaning 'outdoors' to a wasp, which haven't learnt about glass )

henrya

[thunder]

Originally Posted by Luna_Raine

Thanks for any help, specially on the wasp thing, I'm off to research The Waspinator.

Lorien

The Waspinator looks as if it is just a fake wasps' nest, which is said to deter other wasps because they think it is already occupied territory. You could probably make one yourself!

henrya