Month of the Wasps

  It seems to be "Month of the Wasps" here on the Bayou.  First, there were the red paper wasps that built their nest in the potted cedar tree.  This tree was overgrown with the jasmine causing me to snip, tug, hoist and generally be hugging the tree for about an hour.  Ordinarily, these wasps are rather foul tempered critters and will sting you at the drop of a hat.  For some reason, they felt sorry for the old lady trying to do a bit of yard work and I received nary a sting. 

  Then, Mark and I came across a yellow jacket nest.  These wasps, too, have nasty tempers and will attack just for the sake of being ornery.  The nest was huge and I was thankful that we were able to kill the wasps before anyone haphazardly stumbled upon the nest.  Again, nary a sting was received.

  Yesterday, we decided to rip up the small deck.  Some of the boards were getting a tad rotten so instead of repairing, we removed it.  While I was stacking boards, Mark called my attention to yet another nest.  This time it was a mud nest that had been accidentally knocked loose.  My first reaction was that this was some sort of mud dauber's nest (which are a type of wasp) but it looked quite different than any I have ever seen.  I had to do a bit of research and I am still not sure exactly what type of wasp made the nest.  The nearest thing seems to be a wasp called a spider wasp.  It is a type of mud dauber that mainly preys upon spiders.  Well, that could be a good thing since we do seem to have a lot of brown widow and black widow spiders about the place.  I figure that we could use all the help we can get in thinning those buggers out of the area!  Again, no stings but these are rather docile wasps unlike their cousins.

  It does seem as though we have more wasps, bees and generally just more insects than usual this summer.  Perhaps our lack of winters, as of late, accounts for this change.  As far as the wasps go, it was definitely a happy thought that we have avoided stings.

The Huntress

  Out beneath the fig tree, one can usually find any number of critters. Each night, coons nibble the fruit from the lower branches and drop a good many half-eaten.  This ready source of food then becomes fodder for mice, voles, slugs, snails and any number of insects.  The smell of fermenting figs permeates the hillside and draws critters from a good distance.  I suppose that I could carefully rake up and dispose of the rotting pieces of figs but I figure at least this way something is getting a meal.  I do have to be careful where I put my feet, though, as these small critters can also be seen as a meal for a moccasin.  Today, however, I found another critter that interested me.  A wasp was busying herself among the grass blades and fallen leaves.  She was in search of spiders to use as food for her larvae.  While I am not certain of the true name for the wasp, Pop always referred to them as Spider Wasps.  Makes sense to me so the name sticks.  But it was not her vigorous search for arachnids that made me sit and watch her for a good ten minutes or so. it was her colors.  She is gorgeous!

  This wasp is one of the most brilliantly hued of all wasps.  With her bright red body and metallic blue wings she stands out in a crowd!  It is hard to miss her if you are one who looks for wee things beneath your feet.  I do.  Otherwise, you would be hard-pressed to find her as she darts between and under the blades of grass.  She is quick.  Much quicker than most other insects.  I suppose she has to be to snag the spiders before they have a chance to reverse the ambush.  

  I watched as she raced about under the fig tree and then as she attacked a wolf spider.  It took her a grand total of a maybe four or five seconds before she disappeared beneath a log with her prize.  I am sure she was busy laying an egg and did not wish to be disturbed so I eased back away from her. The Spider Wasp does not kill the spider.  She paralyzes it with multiple stings.  She, then, drags her prey to a suitable spot, digs a hole, pulls the paralyzed spider into the hole and lays a single egg on its abdomen.  Then, the egg hatches and the larva will feed upon the spider for about a week. After gorging itself, the larva will make a cocoon and stay put for a while.  Once it comes out of the cocoon, it digs its way out of the hole and immediately starts searching for spiders!  Any critter that kills multiple spiders each day has my approval.  While I do agree that spiders are extremely helpful in the garden, it is nice to know that there is something out there that specifically hunts them.  This keeps things nicely in check!  Good Ole Mother Nature is at work again!

 

Bee-ware!

I hustled myself down the hill this morning in search for the Yellow Jacket Wasp nest that I knew was somewhere in the vicinity of the large clump of Sawtooth Palmettos.  Nary a one could be found on the palmetto dates that were crawling with them yesterday..for that matter, nary a date could be found!  The 'possums and raccoons must have feasted upon them last night!  Still, I found it strange that I could not find a single Yellow Jacket buzzing about the area.

Just as I was about to give up hunting for the hive, something caught my eye near the base of a large oak tree.  Could this be the wasps guarding the hole in the ground that leads to their hive?  I cautiously stepped closer.  It was wasps alright just not the ones I was hunting!  Two very large wasps were fighting among the roots of the tree.  They would tumble this way and that, then one would fly off for a few feet.  After a few moments of rest, the two were at it again!  Not once did they even seem to notice me as they were so intent on their battle.  I assumed this was a territorial battle but again, I could find no nest!   I was enthralled at this war of nature that was going on in my front yard.  So...I did my usual thing...I watched!  This battle was one that would not end until one of the opponents had perished.

These were not the Yellow Jackets that terrorize the hillside but rather (I believe) a couple of female Spider Wasps.  Their brick-red bodies and bright, metallic blue wings were not like any I have seen before.  They were huge compared to the Yellow Jackets!  The Spider Wasp does just what its name implies...it hunts spiders.  This in itself makes it a critter that I like!  I have been bitten by spiders far too many times to say that I am a huge fan of them.  I try not to kill any but if a wasp wants to do that job for me, I shall not complain!  Since Hurricane Isaac, there seems to be thousands of Wolf Spiders roaming about the hillside.  The high tide that came in with the storm washed them all from the marsh now they are disoriented and are trying to find new homes.  As we are raking and hauling the debris that washed into the yard, these spiders are crawling all over us!  Not fun!  The female Spider Wasp is a ground-nesting wasp that will excavate holes in which to lay her eggs.  After doing this, she will hunt spiders to pack into each hole. The wasp will sting the spider to paralyze it. Once the wasp egg hatches, the larva will begin to eat the still-living spider.   The adult wasps of both sexes actually feed on nectar and do not eat the spiders!

 I do wish the two Spider Wasps were not wasting so much time fighting with each other and would get busy chasing the spiders!  My goodness!  There are plenty..no need to get touchy and have a feud!