Wasps in middle of winter
 

For the first time ever it was, when I saw a few buzzing around in mid
January a couple of weeks ago. So I'm thinking it must be down to
global warming or something. Is that normally the reason (or is it just
me?)

I thought it was strange...........

Kleo

Wasps in middle of winter
 

Kleopatra wrote:
For the first time ever it was, when I saw a few buzzing around in mid
January a couple of weeks ago. So I'm thinking it must be down to
global warming or something. Is that normally the reason (or is it just
me?)
I thought it was strange...........

Have you disturbed the grounds somewhere warm? Or next door garden are
moving things around?

Wasps in middle of winter
 

"Kleopatra" wrote in message
oups.com...
For the first time ever it was, when I saw a few buzzing around in mid
January a couple of weeks ago. So I'm thinking it must be down to
global warming or something. Is that normally the reason (or is it just
me?)

I thought it was strange...........

Kleo

You just need somewhere nearby where some queens were hibernating for the
winter to have been disturbed.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

Wasps in middle of winter
 

The message .com
from "Kleopatra" contains these words:

For the first time ever it was, when I saw a few buzzing around in mid
January a couple of weeks ago. So I'm thinking it must be down to
global warming or something. Is that normally the reason (or is it just
me?)

Probably over-wintering queens. They might come out (too early) on a
sunny day, or we sometimes find one stumbling around the floor. Each
queen wasp will be the mother of a whole new colony by summer.

Janet

Wasps in middle of winter
 

On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 21:28:49 +0000, Dave Poole
wrote:

Janet Baraclough wrote:

Each queen wasp will be the mother of a whole new colony by summer.

... which will result in the eradication of thousands of caterpillars
and other garden pests, so think twice before you kill the queen wasp.

Last summer I saw a wasp hunting and catch a honeybee from some
flowers in the garden. It flew with it to our small cherry tree and
hanging on by 3 legs from a leaf, carefully bit the head off the bee.
It then bit all the legs off letting them fall to the ground and
finally proceeded to eat out the abdomen like a döner kebab.

Wasps in middle of winter
 

The message
from Tim C. contains these words:
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 21:28:49 +0000, Dave Poole
wrote:
Janet Baraclough wrote:

Each queen wasp will be the mother of a whole new colony by summer.

... which will result in the eradication of thousands of caterpillars
and other garden pests, so think twice before you kill the queen wasp.

Last summer I saw a wasp hunting and catch a honeybee from some
flowers in the garden. It flew with it to our small cherry tree and
hanging on by 3 legs from a leaf, carefully bit the head off the bee.
It then bit all the legs off letting them fall to the ground and
finally proceeded to eat out the abdomen like a döner kebab.


Are you sure it was a wasp? They usually take prey back to the nest.
(I've never heard of them taking a bee, either.)

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Wasps in middle of winter
 

"Kleopatra" wrote in message
oups.com...
For the first time ever it was, when I saw a few buzzing around in mid
January a couple of weeks ago. So I'm thinking it must be down to
global warming or something. Is that normally the reason (or is it just
me?)

I thought it was strange...........

Kleo

well, here in Eastern Tennessee, we had warm weather for quite a few days in
a row, and while upstairs in the unfinished room, noticed a few of the red
bitches with the black wings. The warmth had wakened them and they were in
no mood..............I carefully opened the window (how they get in is
beyond me) and hoped they'd crawl back outside where they might find
something to knosh on. I respect what they do for my catapillars and such,
but there are times when they're just too bitchy and get provoked by a
casual look.......I've been stung for minding my own business and trying not
to intimidate them. (and lordy knows I won't wear the flowered hats around
them when they truely first wake up. been stung thru the hat for that
error!)
I had to stop son from murdering them with pyrethrums as they'd come inside
upstairs (where his computer used to be) and he'd be intimidated by them. I
noticed more problems with catapillars than usual thanks to his not knowing
about my balance I've worked to maintain. Nothing more inspiring than to
see red wasps doing in a nest of tent worms!

Later I went back upstairs to see if they had gone outside and out of seven,
six had slipped thru the crack underneath the screen insert and one was
****ed to be left behind. I closed the window on her and hoped for the
best. Now we're having normal cold weather and I don't worry about it. It
might just be a warm spell you're having. That's why mine were awake.
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Fairy Holler where all sorts of spring
signs are showing in all sorts of areas in the constipated gardens,
overlooking English Mountain in Eastern Tennessee where we had thick frost
last night after gusting winds of 45-60 mph and lows of 22o F, and mild
temperatures today of low 50's a day of half cloudy sunshine with cold snaps
back to the 20's and highs of only weak 40's by the weekend...........more
normal.....now all we need are some snows that stick on the ground and some
winter weather to make us dress accordingly....... LOL

Wasps in middle of winter
 

Following up to Rusty Hinge 2 :

The message
from Tim C. contains these words:
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 21:28:49 +0000, Dave Poole
wrote:
Janet Baraclough wrote:

Each queen wasp will be the mother of a whole new colony by summer.

... which will result in the eradication of thousands of caterpillars
and other garden pests, so think twice before you kill the queen wasp.

Last summer I saw a wasp hunting and catch a honeybee from some
flowers in the garden. It flew with it to our small cherry tree and
hanging on by 3 legs from a leaf, carefully bit the head off the bee.
It then bit all the legs off letting them fall to the ground and
finally proceeded to eat out the abdomen like a döner kebab.


Are you sure it was a wasp? They usually take prey back to the nest.
(I've never heard of them taking a bee, either.)

Could it have been a hornet? I do know the difference but I can't be
certain what it was now - last Summer's along time for my poor head.
--
Tim C.

Wasps in middle of winter
 

"Rusty Hinge 2" wrote in message
k...
The message
from Tim C. contains these words:
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 21:28:49 +0000, Dave Poole
wrote:
Janet Baraclough wrote:

Each queen wasp will be the mother of a whole new colony by summer.

... which will result in the eradication of thousands of caterpillars
and other garden pests, so think twice before you kill the queen wasp.

Last summer I saw a wasp hunting and catch a honeybee from some
flowers in the garden. It flew with it to our small cherry tree and
hanging on by 3 legs from a leaf, carefully bit the head off the bee.
It then bit all the legs off letting them fall to the ground and
finally proceeded to eat out the abdomen like a döner kebab.


Are you sure it was a wasp? They usually take prey back to the nest.
(I've never heard of them taking a bee, either.)

I have never seen it but I have read of social wasps (Vespa, the stripy guys
with big colonies) killing bumble bees and cutting of the head and carrying
the head away. This is presumably because the head is portable. Serious
characters these wasps.


--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Wasps in middle of winter
 

"Tim C." wrote in message
...
Following up to Rusty Hinge 2 :

The message
from Tim C. contains these words:
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 21:28:49 +0000, Dave Poole
wrote:
Janet Baraclough wrote:

Each queen wasp will be the mother of a whole new colony by summer.

... which will result in the eradication of thousands of caterpillars
and other garden pests, so think twice before you kill the queen wasp.

Last summer I saw a wasp hunting and catch a honeybee from some
flowers in the garden. It flew with it to our small cherry tree and
hanging on by 3 legs from a leaf, carefully bit the head off the bee.
It then bit all the legs off letting them fall to the ground and
finally proceeded to eat out the abdomen like a döner kebab.


Are you sure it was a wasp? They usually take prey back to the nest.
(I've never heard of them taking a bee, either.)

Could it have been a hornet? I do know the difference but I can't be
certain what it was now - last Summer's along time for my poor head.

I have never seen a hornet in teh UK but the ones on teh continent are
simply HUGE. They blot out the sun.
Basically they look like normal wasps except for size. UK wasps do bite
heads of bumble bees although I have never seen it.


--
Tim C.

Wasps in middle of winter
 

Following up to "Des Higgins" :

I have never seen a hornet in teh UK but the ones on teh continent are
simply HUGE. They blot out the sun.

Yes, they're like small helicopters.
--
Tim C.

Wasps in middle of winter
 

In article ,
"Des Higgins" writes:
|
| I have never seen a hornet in teh UK but the ones on teh continent are
| simply HUGE. They blot out the sun.

Yeah. Terrible place. Stinks of garlic and bratwurst, and the
coffee is made from BEANS, fer chrissake!

In the UK, of course, blotting out the sun would be superfluous.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Wasps in middle of winter
 

Following up to (Nick Maclaren) :

Yeah. Terrible place. Stinks of garlic and bratwurst, and the
coffee is made from BEANS, fer chrissake!

See? I said you knew everything. ;-)
--
Tim C.

Wasps in middle of winter
 

Des Higgins wrote:
I have never seen a hornet in teh UK but the ones on teh continent are
simply HUGE. They blot out the sun.
Basically they look like normal wasps except for size. UK wasps do bite
heads of bumble bees although I have never seen it.

Last August, at my cousin's house in Bordeaux, I died, I did. Coming
out of the swimming pool, I put on my trousers and went into the
kitchen. My husband was on the phone (he never stops) and suddenly I
felt the worst pain I had ever felt on my inside leg - and I've been
stung many time - but this pain made me feel sick instantly. I started
screaming, trying to remove my trousers, in front of my husband still
on the phone but now totally silent at the scene unfolding in front of
him, but for a brief second he looked as if to say 'what, here, now?'.
By then everybody was in the kitchen desperate to help me remove my
trousers. A hornet, the size of my head, was still clinging inside the
trouser leg. I sobbed as if I was 6 years old and it took me an entire
day to recover from it.

Wasps in middle of winter
 

The message
from Tim C. contains these words:

Are you sure it was a wasp? They usually take prey back to the nest.
(I've never heard of them taking a bee, either.)

Could it have been a hornet? I do know the difference but I can't be
certain what it was now - last Summer's along time for my poor head.

Dunno, Hornets are rather like chubby wasp-shaped
ochre/cinnamon-coloured jumbo jets, and have a very deep masculine drone
as they fly. I'd have expected them to take prey back to the nest, too.

Some hoverflies look very beelike and waspish, and they do take other
flying insects.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig