Wasps what's the point?

[Archie_tect]

i was sat outside a pub the other day, and there was a 'dead' half pint of beer on the table. in it was one drowning wasp. i managed to coax four others into a beery demise too. good way to go, i suppose…

3 had to get out twice to go to the toilet.... [old but still good!]

 

[Bromptonaut]

McB's hornet went north!

Popped downstairs for a mo and returned to see this HUGE shadow inside the lampshade - trick of the light I thought. Then the bl*dy thing shot out and buzzed round the rooom, a good 30mm from nose to sting.

Trapped him with a glass and card and released outside but seems unable to fly now, possibly fried a wing on the light bulb?

 

[Archie_tect]

McB's hornet went north!

Popped downstairs for a mo and returned to see this HUGE shadow inside the lampshade - trick of the light I thought. Then the bl*dy thing shot out and buzzed round the rooom, a good 30mm from nose to sting.

Trapped him with a glass and card and released outside but seems unable to fly now, possibly fried a wing on the light bulb?

Sounds like a Tiger Moth, once the canvas and dope are damaged...

 

[cisamcgu]

Re hornets, I've seen them in action, they can devastate a wasps or bees nest in a day no problem. They actually snip them in half in mid air, it's quite fascinating, if you're not too close.

Whilst on holiday in Corfu a few years ago, we were sitting outside in the evening enjoying a beer or three when we heard this buzzing noise - it got louder and louder until this hornet arrived from the surrounding olive trees - it was the size of a bl**dy sparrow Cue three fully grown adults cowering in the kicthen, holding the door shut while this hornet merrily sipped our beer and dive bombed the light on the table. - Scary times !!

 

[Wigsie]

At the folks place in Spain you do seem to get a constant stream of one or two around the patio while eating.... my parents have a couple of the electonic fly swatters which actually makes the arrival of a wasp quite fun for the kids.... I actually lifted the ban on killing animals you don't intend to eat (restricting them to wsps and mozzies) for their holidays.

 

[Wowbagger]

One less wasp...

Just spotted this in the garden, it's a bit tricky to make it out but the nice spider has captured the nasty wasp and is, as I type, bundling him up ready for num nums.....

I think your spider has caught a honeybee. Wasps have lots more stripes than that.

 

[Archie_tect]

your spider has caught a honeybee.

Spider re-cast as villain in video nasty....

 

[Archie_tect]

It looks like a hoverfly to me.

Breaking news: Spider nominated for role of Iago in re-make of Othello.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I'd have saved the poor bastard if I'd known....

 

[theclaud]

I'd have saved the poor bastard if I'd known....

Not long ago I was admiring a particularly handsome bush cricket on Hampstead Heath, when my attentions disgruntled it and it pinged away - straight into the path of (shudder) an indecently large wasp spider. The fearsome thing encircled it about thirty times and nearly saw it off before I pulled myself together and rescued it. Well, that's not quite true, but suffice to say that it was rescued. Wasp spiders - what's the point? Are they a recent import? I don't remember seeing them around before, and certainly not in these quantities.

 

[Wigsie]

Not long ago I was admiring a particularly handsome bush cricket on Hampstead Heath, when my attentions disgruntled it and it pinged away - straight into the path of (shudder) an indecently large wasp spider. The fearsome thing encircled it about thirty times and nearly saw it off before I pulled myself together and rescued it. Well, that's not quite true, but suffice to say that it was rescued. Wasp spiders - what's the point? Are they a recent import? I don't remember seeing them around before, and certainly not in these quantities.

Are they the dusty brownish ones with massive bums?

Never saw them till about 10 years ago!