Hello and Welcome to Garden Thursday. We have been enjoying some wonderful weather the past few days. Cooler and much less humid. It was even cool enuf that mum wore long sleeves while she worked pulling weeds. That helped keep the skeeters from biting her.
Last week when mum came out to clean the birdie bath she opened the box to get out the scrubby pad and noticed this! Yep, wasps creating a comb of cells. Mum could tell that one of the wasps was bigger than the other, that would be the queen. She laid eggs in the combs that are closed off with the white stuff.
Mum discovered using her scraper thingy that the wasn't super tight to the plastic box. She was going to just pry it off but thought better. She got out the hose and sprayed the thing into oblivion!
See those little white things, those are the larvae of future wasps and we don't want those around.
Even a few days later they were hanging about but mum was leaving the top open as much as possible which made them fly away. Plus she is going to get some spray that will kill them if they keep hanging around. She thought she had some but she can't find it.
Mum also put out a little feeder for seed that sticks to the window. So she put it on the big windows that she sits by when she is in the reading chair. Ducky is normally nearby. Mum figures it would help to attract fevvers to keep him entertained.
It was all full and mum only saw one fevver by it for days, then Tuesday morning mum could tell that the seed had been eaten, but we didn't know who had been dining.
Also, the clocky thing that mum has between the doors was knocked out and laying on the ground! Now that wasn't likely to be fevvers doing that.
Mum finally discovered who has been chowing down yesterday. It was Chip the Monk! She didn't have her flashy box handy so no pics. She will work on that.
Hope all of you are doing well. We are. Love Virginger, Glimmer, Trooper and Fleur.
Stay safe, stay healthy, wear your mask.
Ugh! Wasps! My human hates them. Nothing personal, she just doesn't want them as neighbors.
ReplyDeleteWow - lots of activity in your garden!
ReplyDeleteMegan
Sydney, Australia
Too bad about the nest. They are such marvels of engineering, but we understand not wanting one at one's house (although we suspect we have one in our attic...).
ReplyDeleteWe don't care for wasps either, yikes! That chipmunk was likely having a big time!!!
ReplyDeletePaper Wasps love to build their nests in umbrellas and overhangs!
ReplyDeleteYears ago, we had a bald faced wasp nest in one of our trees, but we didn't know about it until the leaves had fallen in November! Yikes, that thing was BIG!
hay ewe galz....tell mum ta get a bar oh soap and "apply" bye rubbin it on wear de waspz waz nestin, they canna re nest...all sew they canna stand de smell oh peppermint oil...mum can mix a drop oh dish detergent; peppermint oil and waterz inta a spray bottle and spray this box ta keep em frum coming bak { one tsp to one cup of water; shake well; keep a way frum like elctrical ~~~~ ☺☺
ReplyDeleteWe can't wait to see photos of the chipmunk soon. We hope the wasps don't come back. We don't like them either. Thanks for sharing. Have a great rest of your day.
ReplyDeleteWorld of Animals
Ugh, wasps! Luckily here they don't seem to build around the house, but build their nests in the hedges and trees.
ReplyDeleteWasps are good at catching bad bugs, but ya sure dont want them too near ya! They make homes in awkward places like unner deck rails. TBT got stung once. An he doesn't want US to be.
ReplyDeleteGood thing your mum got rid of those wasps. Every once and awhile one makes it way into our house and it’s a scramble to get it out.
ReplyDeleteWow--you two live a very exciting life back there with all the critters. We lubs critters, for the most part, though we don;t have so many. We would definitely NOT love wasps though. ::shudder:: Ducky, you wouldn't kill the fevvers would you? I mean, I would *LIKE* to, but I am indoors all the time, plus the Human just looks at me and rolls her eyes and says, Spitty. You are 16! There's no way you could nab a birdy, but I don't know about that. If it was a slow one, maybe I could!
ReplyDelete