A Wasp in the Woodpile

[Tremyfro]

My OH brought in logs from the woodpile into the house last evening. This morning...there was a huge wasp flying around the kitchen! We caught it...it's a little more than an inch long. Would this be a queen wasp? I will try to photo it tomorrow. It has all the normal wasp markings. I've never seen a queen wasp before.

 

[Cussword]

I remember Karol saying that he has popped one in the freezer until Spring.

 

[dpearce4]

had a couple of those this year. freak you out when you have ur baby with you and it starts flying due to the sudden warmth.

 

[Tremyfro]

Freaked me right out of the kitchen! No bacon sarnies until it was caught!

 

[Karol]

I remember Karol saying that he has popped one in the freezer until Spring.

Sleeping soundly at -18'C.

 

[Tremyfro]

Sleeping soundly at -18'C.

Ahhhh.....will it wake like sleeping beauty?

 

[nantmoel]

My OH brought in logs from the woodpile into the house last evening. This morning...there was a huge wasp flying around the kitchen! We caught it...it's a little more than an inch long. Would this be a queen wasp? I will try to photo it tomorrow. It has all the normal wasp markings. I've never seen a queen wasp before.

Most probably a queen wasp, as I understand only queen wasps survive the winter, found load in my log pile, so even tucked away in curtain folds. Hope she met a timely demise?

 

[Karol]

My OH brought in logs from the woodpile into the house last evening. This morning...there was a huge wasp flying around the kitchen! We caught it...it's a little more than an inch long. Would this be a queen wasp? I will try to photo it tomorrow. It has all the normal wasp markings. I've never seen a queen wasp before.

Sure bet it's a queen. Love to hibernate in wood piles. She'll be more freaked out and scared of you. After all, the aspiration of thousands of diddy wasps rests on her shoulders and the doom of 4 to 5 metric tonnes of insect pests. Be nice to her!

 

[Tom Bick]

Queen wasps tend to favour log piles as I often disturb one or two each year. A wonderful insect.

 

[Karol]

Ahhhh.....will it wake like sleeping beauty?

Only if I don't forget she's in the deep freeze come March. More like a rude awakening once it happens - just as she was dreaming of her last encounter with her drone!!!

 

[dpearce4]

Freaked me right out of the kitchen! No bacon sarnies until it was caught!

Lucky you wernt on Simi in Greece there the wasps would have eaten your bacon buttie before you get to it lol.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sure bet it's a queen. Love to hibernate in wood piles.

I've spotted five snuggled into a crack in one log in our woodpile.
I'm leaving them to find the Spring
This one.....poached from another forum..... is for you Karol

The world's leading expert on European wasps walks into a record shop and asks the assistant “Do you have ‘European Vespidae Acoustics Volume 2? I believe it was released this week.”
“Certainly.” replies the assistant.“Would you like to listen before you buy it?”
"That would be wonderful." says the expert and puts on a pair of headphones.
He listens for a few moments and says to the assistant “I'm terribly sorry but I am the world's leading expert on European wasps and this is not accurate at all. I don't recognise any of those sounds. Are you sure this is the correct recording?”
The assistant checks the turntable, and replies that it is indeed European Vespidae acoustics Volume 2. The assistant apologies and lifts the needle onto the next track.
Again the expert listens for a few moments and then says to the assistant "No, this just can't be right! I've been an expert in this field for 43 years and I still don't recognise any of these sounds."
The assistant apologises again and lifts the needle to the next track.
The expert throws off the headphones as soon as it starts playing and is fuming with rage. "This is outrageous false advertising! I am the world's leading expert on European wasps and no European wasp has ever made a sound like the ones on this record!"
The manager of the shop overhears the commotion and walks over.
"What seems to be the problem, sir?"
"This is an outrage! I am the world's leading expert on European wasps. Nobody knows more about them than I do. There is no way in hell that the sounds on that record were made by European wasps!"
The manager glances down and notices the problem instantly.
"I'm terrible sorry, sir. It appears we've been playing you the bee side."

 

[kazmcc]

This year is the first time I've seen how they over winter, with their wings and legs all tucked up. Please be nice to her and set her free

 

[Millet]

I have killed and burned many, poop happens , its worse when they shoot out the fire with there wings scorched, just flick them back in an shut the door.

 

[Tremyfro]

That's was great Erica!
So if I put her in the fridge...in her takeaway box.....can I release her in the spring.....far, far away from my hives?

 

[Erichalfbee]

This year is the first time I've seen how they over winter, with their wings and legs all tucked up. Please be nice to her and set her free

Absolutely beautiful the way they fold their legs up to protect their wings

 

[Tremyfro]

She has big wings...I'm quite surprised how big they are!

 

[dpearce4]

I've spotted five snuggled into a crack in one log in our woodpile.
I'm leaving them to find the Spring
This one.....poached from another forum..... is for you Karol

The world's leading expert on European wasps walks into a record shop and asks the assistant “Do you have ‘European Vespidae Acoustics Volume 2? I believe it was released this week.”
“Certainly.” replies the assistant.“Would you like to listen before you buy it?”
"That would be wonderful." says the expert and puts on a pair of headphones.
He listens for a few moments and says to the assistant “I'm terribly sorry but I am the world's leading expert on European wasps and this is not accurate at all. I don't recognise any of those sounds. Are you sure this is the correct recording?”
The assistant checks the turntable, and replies that it is indeed European Vespidae acoustics Volume 2. The assistant apologies and lifts the needle onto the next track.
Again the expert listens for a few moments and then says to the assistant "No, this just can't be right! I've been an expert in this field for 43 years and I still don't recognise any of these sounds."
The assistant apologises again and lifts the needle to the next track.
The expert throws off the headphones as soon as it starts playing and is fuming with rage. "This is outrageous false advertising! I am the world's leading expert on European wasps and no European wasp has ever made a sound like the ones on this record!"
The manager of the shop overhears the commotion and walks over.
"What seems to be the problem, sir?"
"This is an outrage! I am the world's leading expert on European wasps. Nobody knows more about them than I do. There is no way in hell that the sounds on that record were made by European wasps!"
The manager glances down and notices the problem instantly.
"I'm terrible sorry, sir. It appears we've been playing you the bee side."

 

[kazmcc]

Absolutely beautiful the way they fold their legs up to protect their wings

I was fascinated! I still can't quite believe how much I've come to love wasps. Karol has a lot to do with that. I saw my first of the year last week, a queen, whizzing by me. She didn't stop for me to make an ID. I've become a bit of a nerd over all this

 

[Karol]

That's was great Erica!
So if I put her in the fridge...in her takeaway box.....can I release her in the spring.....far, far away from my hives?

Fridge for a few hours and then the freezer. Be careful she hasn't fed on any sweet liquids or is carrying any fluids otherwise her abdomen will rupture. In nature we don't see swings of 40°C in the matter of a few hours and wasps need to pee before they hibernate and they can't do this if they are frozen too quickly after feeding.