Re: Wasps

"Rodney Blackall" <rblackall@rodsrisc.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4da54da1d1rblackall@rodsrisc.demon.co.uk...
> Many have noted the scarcity of wasps SO FAR this year. True here in
> Buckingham as well but there do seem to be a lot of the parasitic
type
> about.
>
> Yesterday I saw a beautiful new red admiral butterfly so some of
those
> have managed to breed.

Two wasps may not a summer make .......
but we have two underground wasp nests within 30 yards.
One, of Vespula germanica, under a flowering cherry tree is *very*
active. At peak traffic conditions I reckon it would be impossible to
estimate the comings and goings. At night, when activity is supposed
to cease, the nest entrance is always populated with guards prowling
around - or maybe they just come up for a breather cos it must be
pretty crowded down there.
See
http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk/waspnest.jpg taken at 01.00hrs in East
Lincs.

And we share the garden with 47+ Tree sparrows plus assorted tits,
finches, robins, wrens and blackbirds.

No House sparrows, though.

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 24.08.2005

In message <3o3pt1F44mplU1@individual.net>, ned <me@privacy.net> writes
>
>Two wasps may not a summer make .......
>but we have two underground wasp nests within 30 yards.
>One, of Vespula germanica, under a flowering cherry tree is *very*
>active. At peak traffic conditions I reckon it would be impossible to
>estimate the comings and goings. At night, when activity is supposed
>to cease, the nest entrance is always populated with guards prowling
>around - or maybe they just come up for a breather cos it must be
>pretty crowded down there.

Guards?

I was attacked and stung by the group of wasps clustered round the
entrance to a nest under our eves. I suppose shining a torch on them was
not the most sensible move but I did feel a bit surprised. Are they
likely to be more easily provoked at night or just disgruntled at not
being cosily tucked up in the nest?

regards

--
Tim Lamb

"Tim Lamb" <tim@marford.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:nkbOF+CHgVHDFwYG@marford.demon.co.uk...
> In message <3o3pt1F44mplU1@individual.net>, ned <me@privacy.net> writes
>>
>>Two wasps may not a summer make .......
>>but we have two underground wasp nests within 30 yards.
>>One, of Vespula germanica, under a flowering cherry tree is *very*
>>active. At peak traffic conditions I reckon it would be impossible to
>>estimate the comings and goings. At night, when activity is supposed
>>to cease, the nest entrance is always populated with guards prowling
>>around - or maybe they just come up for a breather cos it must be
>>pretty crowded down there.
>
> Guards?
>
> I was attacked and stung by the group of wasps clustered round the
> entrance to a nest under our eves. I suppose shining a torch on them was
> not the most sensible move but I did feel a bit surprised. Are they likely
> to be more easily provoked at night or just disgruntled at not being
> cosily tucked up in the nest?

When I was a child I remember my grandmother saying 'they get grumpy toward
the end of the summer' I wonder if this is true.

SpiKe <no-one@home.com. wrote:
> "Tim Lamb" <tim@marford.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:nkbOF+CHgVHDFwYG@marford.demon.co.uk...
>
>>In message <3o3pt1F44mplU1@individual.net>, ned <me@privacy.net> writes
>>
>>>Two wasps may not a summer make .......
>>>but we have two underground wasp nests within 30 yards.
>>>One, of Vespula germanica, under a flowering cherry tree is *very*
>>>active. At peak traffic conditions I reckon it would be impossible to
>>>estimate the comings and goings. At night, when activity is supposed
>>>to cease, the nest entrance is always populated with guards prowling
>>>around - or maybe they just come up for a breather cos it must be
>>>pretty crowded down there.
>>
>>Guards?
>>
>>I was attacked and stung by the group of wasps clustered round the
>>entrance to a nest under our eves. I suppose shining a torch on them was
>>not the most sensible move but I did feel a bit surprised. Are they likely
>>to be more easily provoked at night or just disgruntled at not being
>>cosily tucked up in the nest?
>
>
> When I was a child I remember my grandmother saying 'they get grumpy toward
> the end of the summer' I wonder if this is true.
>
>
Yes, I remember several occasions when I found "dozy" wasps in
September. I was always warned against disturbing them as they tended to
"shoot first and ask afterwards"!

	#1
ned	Re: Wasps "Rodney Blackall" <rblackall@rodsrisc.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:4da54da1d1rblackall@rodsrisc.demon.co.uk... > Many have noted the scarcity of wasps SO FAR this year. True here in > Buckingham as well but there do seem to be a lot of the parasitic type > about. > > Yesterday I saw a beautiful new red admiral butterfly so some of those > have managed to breed. Two wasps may not a summer make ....... but we have two underground wasp nests within 30 yards. One, of Vespula germanica, under a flowering cherry tree is very active. At peak traffic conditions I reckon it would be impossible to estimate the comings and goings. At night, when activity is supposed to cease, the nest entrance is always populated with guards prowling around - or maybe they just come up for a breather cos it must be pretty crowded down there. See http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk/waspnest.jpg taken at 01.00hrs in East Lincs. And we share the garden with 47+ Tree sparrows plus assorted tits, finches, robins, wrens and blackbirds. No House sparrows, though. -- ned http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk last update 24.08.2005

	#2
Tim Lamb	Re: Wasps In message <3o3pt1F44mplU1@individual.net>, ned <me@privacy.net> writes > >Two wasps may not a summer make ....... >but we have two underground wasp nests within 30 yards. >One, of Vespula germanica, under a flowering cherry tree is very >active. At peak traffic conditions I reckon it would be impossible to >estimate the comings and goings. At night, when activity is supposed >to cease, the nest entrance is always populated with guards prowling >around - or maybe they just come up for a breather cos it must be >pretty crowded down there. Guards? I was attacked and stung by the group of wasps clustered round the entrance to a nest under our eves. I suppose shining a torch on them was not the most sensible move but I did feel a bit surprised. Are they likely to be more easily provoked at night or just disgruntled at not being cosily tucked up in the nest? regards -- Tim Lamb

	#3
SpiKe	Re: Wasps "Tim Lamb" <tim@marford.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:nkbOF+CHgVHDFwYG@marford.demon.co.uk... > In message <3o3pt1F44mplU1@individual.net>, ned <me@privacy.net> writes >> >>Two wasps may not a summer make ....... >>but we have two underground wasp nests within 30 yards. >>One, of Vespula germanica, under a flowering cherry tree is very >>active. At peak traffic conditions I reckon it would be impossible to >>estimate the comings and goings. At night, when activity is supposed >>to cease, the nest entrance is always populated with guards prowling >>around - or maybe they just come up for a breather cos it must be >>pretty crowded down there. > > Guards? > > I was attacked and stung by the group of wasps clustered round the > entrance to a nest under our eves. I suppose shining a torch on them was > not the most sensible move but I did feel a bit surprised. Are they likely > to be more easily provoked at night or just disgruntled at not being > cosily tucked up in the nest? When I was a child I remember my grandmother saying 'they get grumpy toward the end of the summer' I wonder if this is true.

	#4
Grizzleguts	Re: Wasps SpiKe <no-one@home.com. wrote: > "Tim Lamb" <tim@marford.demon.co.uk> wrote in message > news:nkbOF+CHgVHDFwYG@marford.demon.co.uk... > >>In message <3o3pt1F44mplU1@individual.net>, ned <me@privacy.net> writes >> >>>Two wasps may not a summer make ....... >>>but we have two underground wasp nests within 30 yards. >>>One, of Vespula germanica, under a flowering cherry tree is very >>>active. At peak traffic conditions I reckon it would be impossible to >>>estimate the comings and goings. At night, when activity is supposed >>>to cease, the nest entrance is always populated with guards prowling >>>around - or maybe they just come up for a breather cos it must be >>>pretty crowded down there. >> >>Guards? >> >>I was attacked and stung by the group of wasps clustered round the >>entrance to a nest under our eves. I suppose shining a torch on them was >>not the most sensible move but I did feel a bit surprised. Are they likely >>to be more easily provoked at night or just disgruntled at not being >>cosily tucked up in the nest? > > > When I was a child I remember my grandmother saying 'they get grumpy toward > the end of the summer' I wonder if this is true. > > Yes, I remember several occasions when I found "dozy" wasps in September. I was always warned against disturbing them as they tended to "shoot first and ask afterwards"!