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Index of Subjects --001a113403d88bfaf104e1bfa2fc Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Yes some species of yellowjackets built their nests in hollow logs, under rocks or in crevices just below ground. There are about 15 species of yellowjackets (*Vespula* and *Dolichovespula*spp.) in Nova Scotia. A common one, the Bald-faced Hornet ( *Dolichovespula maculata*) has ivory or white markings and suspends rather large nests in trees or shrubs. Other species nest exclusively in the ground - in hollow logs or under rocks. Some are black and white while others are the familiar yellow and black. A few species may nest both in shrubs or on the ground. * * Matt Buck=92s paper in the Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification provides the most complete and well illustrated review of yellowjackets for NS. http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/ejournal/bmc_05/bmc_05.html *From Buck et al. 2008 on Vespula acadica.* *Biology*. Nests are usually built in rotten logs, under logs or in the soil; aerial nests are uncommon. Females prey on live arthropods only. Due to its silvicolous habitat preferences and primarily boreo-montane distribution *V. acadica* rarely comes into contact with man and is therefore not a nuisance species (Akre *et al*. 1981<http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/ejournal/bmc_05/references.html#akr= > ). *From Buck et al. 2008 on Dolichovespula arenaria: **Biology*. Nests are usually aerial and attached to herbage, shrubs or trees from near the ground to canopy level. In urban situations they are often found on manmade structures. More rarely nests are constructed under rocks or even in ground burrows where workers may excavate soil to allow for nest expansion, as in *Vespula* species. Females usually forage for live arthropods and rarely visit carrion. Because of its tendency to use manmade structures as nest locations and because of its abundance this species can be a nuisance. Individuals from smaller colonies are usually not very aggressive but large colonies (which are relatively rare) can react strongly and very aggressively to disturbance (Akre *et al*. 1981<http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/ejournal/bmc_05/references.html#akr= > ).** As an aside, yellowjackets and hornets are really the same group of wasps, vespine wasps. We call some of them hornets (e.g. Bald-faced Hornet, *Dolichovespula maculata*) and others yellowjackets, (e.g. Aerial Yellowjacket *Dolichovesp= ula arenaria*). As always, BugGuide is a good source of information http://bugguide.net/node/view/385/bgpage. Two species of non-native yellowjackets, *Dolichovespula arenaria* and * Vespula* *germanica* are common in NS. The rest are native species. Two species of paper wasps in the genus *Polistes* are common in NS. They have nests that are open, meaning you can see the individual cells. Nests of yellowjackets and hornets have a paper envelope around the nest so that you cannot see the cells unless it has been ripped off. The native * Polistes* *fuscatus* has recently expanded its range to Cape Breton. The non-native *Polistes* *dominula* has become quite common in urban areas in the past 15 years. DBMcC On Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 8:39 PM, David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>wrote: > Dear All, July 17, 2013 > Last year on July 22 I found a Yellow Jacket nest at North Alton that > had been built on the ground. I didn't get a good look at it because it w= as > partly hidden by greenery and active wasps. When I was next by there, Aug > 12, the nest was gone but there were clear indications that it had been > hemispheric and attached to litter on the ground. > > Today I found a hemispheric Yellow Jacket nest, a bit over 10 cm in > diameter, that appears to be attached to surface litter, about 300 paces > from the 2012 nest. The wasps were quite active, because I had mowed clos= e > to the nest with a scythe before I noticed it, and they appeared to be > normal sized. I have not seen such nests elsewhere. > > I am wondering if there is a species of Yellow Jacket that builds nest= s > on the ground as opposed to in shrubs or trees. > > Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville > > > > --001a113403d88bfaf104e1bfa2fc Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Yes some species of yellowjackets built their nests in hol= low logs, under rocks or in crevices just below ground.<div><br></div><div> <p class=3D"" style=3D"margin:0.1pt 0cm"><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt;fo= nt-family:Times;color:black">There are about 15 species of yellowjackets (<i>Vespula</i> and <i>Dolichovespula</i> spp.) in Nova Scotia.=A0 A common one, the Bald-f= aced Hornet (<i>Dolichovespula maculata</i>) has ivory or white markings and suspends rather large nests in trees or shrubs.=A0 Other= species nest exclusively in the ground - in hollow logs or under rocks.=A0 Some are black and white while others are the familiar yellow and black.=A0 A fe= w species may nest both in shrubs or on the ground.</span></p> <p class=3D"" style=3D"margin:0.1pt 0cm"><b><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt= ;font-family:Times;color:black">=A0</span></b></p> <p class=3D"">Matt Buck=92s paper in the Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification provides the most complete and well illustrated review of yellowjackets for NS. <a href=3D"http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/ejourna= l/bmc_05/bmc_05.html">http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/ejournal/bmc_05/bm= c_05.html</a></p> <p class=3D"" style=3D"margin:0.1pt 0cm"><b><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt= ;font-family:Times;color:black">From Buck et al. 2008 on <i>Vespula acadica= </i>.</span></b></p> <p class=3D"" style=3D"margin:0.1pt 0cm"><b><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt= ;font-family:Times;color:black">Biology</span></b><span style=3D"font-size:= 13.5pt;font-family:Times;color:black">. Nests are usually built in rotten logs, under logs or in the soil; aerial nests a= re uncommon. Females prey on live arthropods only. Due to its silvicolous habi= tat preferences and primarily boreo-montane distribution</span><span style=3D"f= ont-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times;color:black">=A0<i>V. acadica</i>=A0</span><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times;colo= r:black">rarely comes into contact with man and is therefore not a nuisance species (<a href=3D"http://www.biology.= ualberta.ca/bsc/ejournal/bmc_05/references.html#akr"><span style=3D"color:r= gb(0,0,204);text-decoration:none">Akre=A0<i>et al</i>. 1981</span></a>).</s= pan></p> <p class=3D"" style=3D"margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style=3D"font-size:10p= t;font-family:Times">=A0</span></p> <p class=3D""><b><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times;color:bl= ack">From Buck et al. 2008 on <i>Dolichovespula arenaria</i>:<br> </span></b><b><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times;color:black= ">Biology</span></b><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times;color= :black">. Nests are usually aerial and attached to herbage, shrubs or trees from near the ground to can= opy level. In urban situations they are often found on manmade structures. More rarely nests are constructed under rocks or even in ground burrows where workers may excavate soil to allow for nest expansion, as in</span><span st= yle=3D"font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times;color:black">=A0<i>Vespula</i>=A0= </span><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Times;color:black">speci= es. Females usually forage for live arthropods and rarely visit carrion. Because of its tendenc= y to use manmade structures as nest locations and because of its abundance this species can be a nuisance. Individuals from smaller colonies are usually no= t very aggressive but large colonies (which are relatively rare) can react strongly and very aggressively to disturbance (</span><span style=3D"font-s= ize:10pt;font-family:Times"><a href=3D"http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/e= journal/bmc_05/references.html#akr"><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt;color:r= gb(0,0,204)">Akre</span><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt;color:rgb(0,0,204);= text-decoration:none">=A0<i>et al</i></span><span style=3D"font-size:13.5pt= ;color:rgb(0,0,204)">. 1981</span></a></span><span style=3D"font-size:13.5p= t;font-family:Times;color:black">).</span><b><span style=3D"font-size:13.5p= t;font-family:Times;color:black"></span></b></p> <p class=3D"">As an aside, yellowjackets and hornets are really the same group of wasps, vespine wasps.=A0 We call some of them hornets (e.g. Bald-faced Hornet, <i>Dolichovespula macula= ta</i>) and others yellowjackets, (e.g. Aerial Yellowjacket <i>Dolichovespula arenaria</i>).=A0 As always, BugGuide is a g= ood source of information <a href=3D"http://bugguide.net/node/view/385/bgpage">http://bug= guide.net/node/view/385/bgpage</a>.</p> <p class=3D"">Two species of non-native yellowjackets, <i>Dolichovespula ar= enaria</i> and <i>Vespula</i> <i>germanica</i> are common in NS.=A0 The rest are native species.</p> <p class=3D"">Two species of paper wasps in the genus <i>Polistes</i> are c= ommon in NS.=A0 They have nests that are open, meaning you can see the individual cells.=A0 Nests of yellowjackets and hornets have a paper envelope around the nest so that you cannot see the ce= lls unless it has been ripped off.=A0 The native <i>Polistes</i> <i>fuscatus</i> has recently expanded its range to C= ape Breton.=A0 The non-native <i>Polistes</i> <i>dominula</i> has become quite common in urban areas in the past 15 years.</p> <p class=3D"">DBMcC</p> </div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">O= n Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 8:39 PM, David & Alison Webster <span dir=3D"ltr= "><<a href=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com" target=3D"_blank">dwebster@glin= x.com</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Dear All, =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 = =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0July 17, 2013<br> =A0 =A0Last year on July 22 I found a Yellow Jacket nest at North Alton tha= t had been built on the ground. I didn't get a good look at it because = it was partly hidden by greenery and active wasps. When I was next by there= , Aug 12, the nest was gone but there were clear indications that it had be= en hemispheric and attached to litter on the ground.<br> <br> =A0 =A0Today I found a hemispheric Yellow Jacket nest, a bit over 10 cm in = diameter, that appears to be attached to surface litter, about 300 paces fr= om the 2012 nest. The wasps were quite active, because I had mowed close to= the nest with a scythe before I noticed it, and they appeared to be normal= sized. I have not seen such nests elsewhere.<br> <br> =A0 =A0I am wondering if there is a species of Yellow Jacket that builds ne= sts on the ground as opposed to in shrubs or trees.<br> <br> Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville<br> <br> <br> <br> </blockquote></div><br></div> --001a113403d88bfaf104e1bfa2fc--
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