OP
@jbacklund avatar
UTC

Molto Verboso
2020 GTS300 HPE/2022 Triumph Rocket 3R/1981 Honda CB900C/2019 Triumph Speedmaster
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1672
Location: Black Hills South Dakota USA
 
Molto Verboso
@jbacklund avatar
2020 GTS300 HPE/2022 Triumph Rocket 3R/1981 Honda CB900C/2019 Triumph Speedmaster
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1672
Location: Black Hills South Dakota USA
UTC quote
Our house was destructively pummeled with large hail several months ago, and starting early tomorrow, they will begin to re-side the entire structure, and just when the two cats were starting to recover from the trauma of last week's roofing crew pounding and banging around up there, the siding crew will be sending them back into the little room under the stairs every day for most of the next week..

Poor kitties!

But at least they weren't risking very real and total destruction, as were the small colony of paper wasps who built their nest under a plastic corner piece on the garage, that was now fully exposed by a large hailstone strike during the storm.

The siding crew would certainly destroy them in the process of their work.

But I had hatched a plan.

This morning, before heading off to work (astride my Vespa, by the way), I took some tightly rolled strips of paper towels, applied a tiny smear of bee honey on the ends, stuck it near them, and as soon as the wasps got a whiff of the honey, they just stepped onto the paper and enthusiastically started to slurp up the sweet too. I'm sure they were near starvation considering the time of year and early fall temperatures.

I had places the Waspatorium nearby, and simply carefully placed the paper towel strips, hungry wasp included, into the safety of the Waspatorium, eight times.

There is still one straggler left that I couldn't get to climb onto the paper strip, so had to leave that one until later today when I return from work at around 5:00 when I'll see if I can collect that last one.

When they're all moved into the Waspatorium, I'll detach their little paper best and place it in the enclosure with them. We might have all nine of them over the winter now.
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
OP
@jbacklund avatar
UTC

Molto Verboso
2020 GTS300 HPE/2022 Triumph Rocket 3R/1981 Honda CB900C/2019 Triumph Speedmaster
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1672
Location: Black Hills South Dakota USA
 
Molto Verboso
@jbacklund avatar
2020 GTS300 HPE/2022 Triumph Rocket 3R/1981 Honda CB900C/2019 Triumph Speedmaster
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1672
Location: Black Hills South Dakota USA
UTC quote
Accommodating type that I am, after transplanting the little stingy Vespas into their new winter home and thus avoided their imminent destruction, I went back and carefully detached their little paper nest from the corner of the garage wall and set it in the Waspatorium on the food tray.

It took them quite a while to find it, but it does appear that they have discovered a familiar place.
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@olde_rider avatar
UTC

Hooked
Primavera 150
Joined: UTC
Posts: 396
Location: North Central Connecticut
 
Hooked
@olde_rider avatar
Primavera 150
Joined: UTC
Posts: 396
Location: North Central Connecticut
UTC quote
Cool
@tbrduc avatar
UTC

Enthusiast
GTS250ie. Malaguti Yesterday
Joined: UTC
Posts: 72
Location: Vienna, VA
 
Enthusiast
@tbrduc avatar
GTS250ie. Malaguti Yesterday
Joined: UTC
Posts: 72
Location: Vienna, VA
UTC quote
That takes a special.. something.
I don't mind honey bees and bumbles because they just go about their pollination business.
But it seems that wasps and hornets.. all of them.. just look for trouble.
Build a nest in a protected spot… ok.. cool.
Then, if i walk by and they get all indignant.. offended.. and they pull off that intimidating stare!
And then… if i smack one.. they call all their buddies!
Some Yellow jackets build in the ground.. and they get upset if i mow my lawn.
Please.. just go pollenate. We'll get along just fine.
😊
OP
@jbacklund avatar
UTC

Molto Verboso
2020 GTS300 HPE/2022 Triumph Rocket 3R/1981 Honda CB900C/2019 Triumph Speedmaster
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1672
Location: Black Hills South Dakota USA
 
Molto Verboso
@jbacklund avatar
2020 GTS300 HPE/2022 Triumph Rocket 3R/1981 Honda CB900C/2019 Triumph Speedmaster
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1672
Location: Black Hills South Dakota USA
UTC quote
Tbrduc wrote:
That takes a special.. something.
I don't mind honey bees and bumbles because they just go about their pollination business.
But it seems that wasps and hornets.. all of them.. just look for trouble.
Build a nest in a protected spot… ok.. cool.
Then, if i walk by and they get all indignant.. offended.. and they pull off that intimidating stare!
And then… if i smack one.. they call all their buddies!
Some Yellow jackets build in the ground.. and they get upset if i mow my lawn.
Please.. just go pollenate. We'll get along just fine.
😊
Yellow jackets and hornets are an entirely different matter, and are, as everybody knows, super aggressive at protecting their nests, or just being dicks for the fun of it.

This bunch is a bit different from the handful that I put up last winter, and are a bit smaller on average and are darker banded, but their temperament seems about the same, which is (with caution) relatively non-aggressive. One is noticably larger than the others, and it may be a queen.

This entire colony probably never had more than twenty wasps in total, it's obviously a pretty small nest.
@besupa avatar
UTC

Hooked
GTS 300 HPE (2020); V-Strom 650 XT (2019)
Joined: UTC
Posts: 183
Location: SF Bay Area, California
 
Hooked
@besupa avatar
GTS 300 HPE (2020); V-Strom 650 XT (2019)
Joined: UTC
Posts: 183
Location: SF Bay Area, California
UTC quote
JBacklund wrote:
This entire colony probably never had more than twenty wasps in total, it's obviously a pretty small nest.
Early stage vespa capital.
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