On Mon, 3 Jan 2005 12:47:29 +0000 (UTC), "nambucca"
wrote:

Digging out my Strawberry barrel i found what look exactly like huge Wasps

Are they Queen wasps in hibernation or would they be young immature Bumble
Bees

If they are queen wasps then i will get rid

If they are immature bumble bees then i will re bury them

There's no such thing as an immature bumble bee, in the sense that
once they've emerged from their pupae they're fully mature and look
like bumbles. And bumbles don't reproduce at this time of year. If
they look like bumbles, they're hibernating queen bumbles. If they
look like large wasps, they're hibernating queen wasps.

The life cycles of both bumble bees and wasps are broadly similar,
except that bumbles feed their grubs with nectar and pollen, while
wasps feed their grubs with insects.

Whichever they are, both are beneficial so leave them be.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net