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Post by whatever on Jan 10, 2022 11:13:07 GMT -8
Hi. I'm afraid to admit that I know nothing about insects and I've only registered to get answers to a question about my current wasp lodgers. In may last year one queen built a tiny nest in some pull-up rings hung in my doorway. I decided to let her stay and I followed the life of her family with interest. I read that the nest would be abandoned come winter. However here we are in February in the French alps, it's single figure temperatures yet several are still here. They're very immobile, but move a bit more if the sun comes out. The problem is, the pull-up rings are borrowed and my friend wants them back! What can I expect to happen between now and spring?
Thanks.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Jan 10, 2022 11:29:48 GMT -8
February? It's only January 10th today.
I expect the wasps will just sit there until the weather warms up, and then they will start to enlarge the nest.
If your friend wants his rings back and you want to try to 'rescue' the wasps you probably need to transfer the whole nest somewhere else and hope the wasps can sort it out in spring.
Adam.
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Post by kevinkk on Jan 10, 2022 16:55:23 GMT -8
Some wasps will only make a small nest, but quite a few will start small and grow, as interesting as they might be, and "live and let live".
being an altruistic ideal, the wasps will defend themselves when they feel threatened, and you, like some of the rest of us will get stung on the
head using the barbeque...or your door.
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Post by whatever on Jan 10, 2022 22:57:03 GMT -8
Okay, I thought that might be the case. If I move them on a cold day can I expect them to wake up or will they be too sluggish to attack?
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Post by Adam Cotton on Jan 11, 2022 0:45:48 GMT -8
I think you should be able to move them if they are really cold. It would be a good idea to do it early in the morning or in the evening, night time would be even better. In the middle of the day they may be able to warm themselves up enough to become active in an 'emergency'.
Adam.
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Post by kevinkk on Jan 11, 2022 10:05:51 GMT -8
Adam is correct, cold is the best time to fool around with a nest, even after dark, at least during the warmer months the wasps can be active and
will buzz around, the last time I removed a paper wasp nest for someone, it was in July, after dark, and some wasps did come out of the nest, as to
their ability to see, or find you, I can't say. The risk factor is going to be in the numbers, the more wasps there are, the higher chance
of one stinging you.
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Post by whatever on Jan 11, 2022 11:08:04 GMT -8
February? It's only January 10th today. Adam. Ha, yes, well spotted. Like the wasps, my brain doesn't work well in winter. |
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Post by whatever on Jan 11, 2022 11:09:25 GMT -8
Okay thanks. We've got some sub zero nights coming up, so I'll do the deed then. Hopefully they'll never know.  |
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Post by trehopr1 on Jan 11, 2022 11:49:12 GMT -8
I only just noticed this thread so I'm a little late in replying however, I have a hard time believing that any of those wasps are living.
Here in the US any insects exposed to temperatures less than 32°F (freezing) are effectively killed off unless they seek out sheltered places away from the direct cold.
The only wasps which survive our winters are the young queens which seek out sheltered places such as under stones, fallen logs, bits of loose bark etc. Even a few of our overwintering butterflies and moths seek out shelter under loose bark, abandoned buildings, barns, sheds, or just about any other place directly out of the cold.
Insects blood does have an anti-freeze of a sort in it however, it does not work to the best of my knowledge when they are exposed directly to wind and cold.
I have found numerous dead wasps present in plenty of old nests that I have investigated. Never anything living...
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Post by trehopr1 on Jan 11, 2022 15:06:36 GMT -8
As a point of interest to anyone reading this thread and are interested in social insects and their ways; here in the eastern half of the US we have some instances of perennial nests of the German Yellowjacket (Vespula germanica).
These nests have been reported from Northern Florida and from various Gulf Coast states. Though, somewhat rarely encountered they have been found in abandoned motorhomes left out in somebody's "back 40 acres".
These occasional nests can reach enormous proportions and can house upwards of 10,000 wasps. This has been reported in newspapers from time to time. The very mild winters of that region allow for such nests to become far more than what they would typically become in size and numbers.
The method of eradication typically is to wrap/enclose the entire motorhome and then release a canister of methyl bromide for a complete kill.
As a former exterminator I took part in the fogging of an infested grain Warehouse which we spent a weekend wrapping and enclosing; where upon we released several cylinders of methyl bromide to eradicate the beetle problem.
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Post by wingedwishes on Jan 11, 2022 15:56:27 GMT -8
I remember yellow jackets! 42 years ago I disturbed a nest and was stung more than 40 times. One of the stingers went into a joint and can be seen there still. I wondered about quartz crystals then and put one on the sting which swelled to the size of a lima bean. Because of the heat absorption qualities, I put a crystal on the sting. The swelling went down in less than a minute and the crystal got very very hot to the touch. Nothing mystical about it. The heat/fever was sucked up. Also as a kid, I decided to remove a paper wasp nest with a lighter and brake part cleaner spray. The resulting fire ball was truly impressive! I am surprised I am still alive after the stupid things I did as a teen....
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Post by kevinkk on Jan 11, 2022 17:24:18 GMT -8
You can also shoot them with your bb gun as they leave the nest.
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Post by trehopr1 on Jan 11, 2022 17:24:38 GMT -8
When I was about 10 years old a friend of mine and I both knew the location of a yellow jacket nest built into the side of a neighbors ornamental rock grotto. My friend walked over to it the first two times and kicked it then ran as the yellow jackets came boiling out.
The third occasion he again walked over and kicked it but, the only problem was the largest rock he had been kicking broke away and fell out exposing the nest and in seconds they were all over him !
He ran but, it didn't do much good because he wound up with 18 stings/welts on his neck, arms, back, and torso after they gotten under his shirt.
Had he been an individual allergic to the venom he might not be around to talk about the incident as he has never forgotten it.
Ah' yes, the reckless abandon of youth...
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Post by exoticimports on Jan 11, 2022 17:35:03 GMT -8
You can also shoot them with your bb gun as they leave the nest. That’s how I got stung in the face. |
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Post by whatever on Jan 14, 2022 14:16:34 GMT -8
I have a hard time believing that any of those wasps are living. Here in the US any insects exposed to temperatures less than 32°F (freezing) are effectively killed off unless they seek out sheltered places away from the direct cold. The only wasps which survive our winters are the young queens which seek out sheltered places such as under stones, fallen logs, bits of loose bark etc. Even a few of our overwintering butterflies and moths seek out shelter under loose bark, abandoned buildings, barns, sheds, or just about any other place directly out of the cold. Insects blood does have an anti-freeze of a sort in it however, it does not work to the best of my knowledge when they are exposed directly to wind and cold. I have found numerous dead wasps present in plenty of old nests that I have investigated. Never anything living... I'm surprised too. But I've just checked by shining a light at them and blowing at them. They sluggishly wriggle their bums at me. There are maybe ten of them all huddled up in the gap on top of the nest. It's currently 1C here and -4C is forecast during the night. I've made a small box to move them to. Should I transfer the nest, if possible without it breaking, or just the wasps? I understood that they rebuild a nest every year but is there a possibility they'll stay in the old one? |
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