[NatureNS] re small wasp nest under porch roof

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>,
Cc: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:33:18 -0300
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Eleanor, from your description and without a photo, I can just guess  
that you have an overwintered "queen nest" of either a bald-faced  
hornet or one of the yellow-jacket species.  Only the queens  
overwinter, and they do so singly by themselves.  If this is indeed a  
"queen nest", it will have only a single opening, central at the  
bottom of the nest.  If this is correct, by now it will be devoid of  
wasps.  In Spring they lay eggs in the nest and raise just one small  
generation of workers, before going elsewhere and starting a new and  
big nest, which might be an elevated papery nest that naturalists are  
familiar with, or perhaps the nest is underground or inside wooden  
structures like old house walls.  The insides of such big nests  
consist of several tiers of brood cells for raising the baby wasps.   
And, incidentally for those who don't know, they prey on various  
insects, chew them up, and feed them to the growing larvae in the  
cells.  But the adults also have a sweet-tooth, which gets us humans  
in trouble when the hornets or yellowjackets seek sweet stuff on our  
picnic tables on patios or in parks etc.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.

----- Original Message -----
From: Eleanor Lindsay
To: NatureNS
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2011 11:49 AM
Subject: [NatureNS] Wasp nests

While the topic of wasp nests is current, I have just found a small  
one under the porch roof right above my front door; if it were  
anywhere else I would leave it till the winter, but don't feel I can  
leave this one in case someone allergic comes to the door....
I would prefer not to use poison and would like to make the deed as  
quick and thorough as possible.
Suggestions as to the best/safest time of day and method would be  
appreciated!

Eleanor Lindsay,
Seabright , St Margarets Bay

--Boundary_(ID_YyXv3iM0jDa/PTs8v3bopA)
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.1px Helvetica">Eleanor, =
from your description and without a photo, I can just guess that you =
have an overwintered "queen nest" of either a bald-faced hornet or one =
of the yellow-jacket species. &nbsp;Only the queens overwinter, and they =
do so singly by themselves. &nbsp;If this is indeed a "queen nest", it =
will have only a single opening, central at the bottom of the nest. =
&nbsp;If this is correct, by now it will be devoid of wasps. &nbsp;In =
Spring they lay eggs in the nest and raise just one small generation of =
workers, before going elsewhere and starting a new and big nest, which =
might be an elevated papery nest that naturalists are familiar with, or =
perhaps the nest is underground or inside wooden structures like old =
house walls. &nbsp;The insides of such big nests consist of several =
tiers of brood cells for raising the baby wasps. &nbsp;And, incidentally =
for those who don't know, they prey on various insects, chew them up, =
and feed them to the growing larvae in the cells. &nbsp;But the adults =
also have a sweet-tooth, which gets us humans in trouble when the =
hornets or yellowjackets seek sweet stuff on our picnic tables on patios =
or in parks etc.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.1px =
Helvetica"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.1px Helvetica">Cheers from Jim in =
Wolfville.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.1px Helvetica"><br></font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: =
24.1px Helvetica">----- Original Message -----</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(228, 228, 228); "><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 26.9px Arial"><b>From:</b> <a =
href=3D"mailto:kelindsay@eastlink.ca"><font color=3D"#001ee6" =
style=3D"color: #001ee6">Eleanor Lindsay</font></a></font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: =
26.9px Arial"><b>To:</b> <a href=3D"mailto:NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca"><font =
color=3D"#001ee6" style=3D"color: #001ee6; background-color: =
transparent">NatureNS</font></a></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 26.9px Arial"><b>Sent:</b> =
Friday, July 08, 2011 11:49 AM</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 26.9px Arial"><b>Subject:</b> =
[NatureNS] Wasp nests</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 24.1px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 30px; =
"><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.1px Helvetica">While the topic of wasp =
nests is current, I have just found a small one under the porch roof =
right above my front door; if it were anywhere else I would leave it =
till the winter, but don't feel I can leave this one in case someone =
allergic comes to the door....&nbsp;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top:=
 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.1px Helvetica">I would =
prefer not to use poison and would like to make the deed as quick and =
thorough as possible.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.1px =
Helvetica">Suggestions as to the best/safest time of day and method =
would be appreciated!</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 24.1px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 30px; =
"><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.1px Helvetica">Eleanor =
Lindsay,</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.1px Helvetica">Seabright , St Margarets =
Bay</font></div>
</body></html>=

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