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Post by NellyDee on Mar 28, 2016 8:38:30 GMT
Taking opportunity to clean out swallow nests (man made) I found this wasp's nest. Sad that most did not make it, I presume due to the exceptionally wet weather we had.
DSCF3029 by Helen Skelton, on Flickr DSCF3032 by Helen Skelton, on Flickr
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Post by shirl100 on Mar 28, 2016 10:48:53 GMT
That's sad NellyDee, they seem to like building nests in bird boxes - or in our shed, although last year I think the only one started didn't get finished.
Shirl
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Post by NellyDee on Mar 28, 2016 16:26:52 GMT
there was a film about wasps on tv quite a while ago now, that showed Hornets were the downfall of many wasp colonies, by preying on the wasps as they entered or left the nest, often wiping out a small colony like this one must have been, in just a few days ! it may be only a small nest, but i wonder how many hours of work went into its construction ? i always view them as little architectural masterpieces unlike these two monsters, that were posted here OMG - wonder if the people with the wasp nest on the bed were away for a long time. The nests I get here are always small and out in the open,on roof of veranda or under the eaves, they are usually the size of a teacup. I too marvel at their construction and just how fine (like tissue paper) the outer casing is. I suppose this one could have been Hornets. One on the veranda got completely trashed by the birds. I wonder if the reason they are so small here is because there are not that many wasps.
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Post by Harold Smith on Mar 28, 2016 18:22:41 GMT
Hallo NellyDee,
Very unlikely to be Hornets as they would be a very long way from home in NW Scotland. Current distribution is about half way up England, North of the midlands.
Harold.
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Post by Harold Smith on Mar 29, 2016 9:18:54 GMT
now thats something new i've learned we get a few Hornets here in the North Midlands, which sounds like its close to their range limit, They are gradually moving north. Hornets have been seen in South Yorkshire. They are probably moving north due to changes in the climate and that we are planting lots more trees.
Harold.
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Post by NellyDee on Mar 29, 2016 13:47:57 GMT
I love it when I learn something new, Thank you Harold
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Post by faith on Mar 29, 2016 15:39:39 GMT
now thats something new i've learned we get a few Hornets here in the North Midlands, which sounds like its close to their range limit, They are gradually moving north. Hornets have been seen in South Yorkshire. They are probably moving north due to changes in the climate and that we are planting lots more trees.
Harold.
Yes, I've certainly learnt something there. Years ago, in central Scotland, my dog disturbed a nest (at ground level) and was furiously attacked – as I was myself trying to extricate all the beasties from her long coat. And all this time I have been telling people she was attacked by a hornets' nest! They didn't look like ordinary wasps, and were certainly in a stinging frenzy, but I was a bit too occupied to make a sound ID, clearly! I wonder what they were?
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Post by accipiter on Mar 29, 2016 18:31:15 GMT
I had hornets in one of my little owls boxes last year, I do not know if this is normally the case but this nest consisted of mushroom shaped tiers sit on top of each other, in other words not ball shaped at all.
Alan
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Post by Tringa on Mar 30, 2016 8:49:53 GMT
Always good to see these amazing structures and the great creatures that make them. Have to admit liking wasps. This one is from 5 years ago and being in a shed it survived well. I was putting wood preservative on the outside of the shed while they were building it. They were not bothered by me being there and just few in an out of the open door as I got on with the job. For a while they did appear confused (can a wasp be confused?) when I shut the door to paint the outside of it, but they soon found a gap at the top and went through that. Another nest was built in the shed the following year but since then, none at all. Dave
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Post by accipiter on Mar 30, 2016 19:38:32 GMT
Always good to see these amazing structures and the great creatures that make them. Have to admit liking wasps. This one is from 5 years ago and being in a shed it survived well. I was putting wood preservative on the outside of the shed while they were building it. They were not bothered by me being there and just few in an out of the open door as I got on with the job. For a while they did appear confused (can a wasp be confused?) when I shut the door to paint the outside of it, but they soon found a gap at the top and went through that. Another nest was built in the shed the following year but since then, none at all. Dave I do not see why not Dave I am confused most of the time too!
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