Queen Wasps

[Billhook]

Seem to have done very well this year.  Every load I bring in from the wood box seems to release one if not two and having been stung on my little finger after picking up a log ( why does that seem to hurt more than most other parts of the hand!) I bought a long handled spider catcher from Amazon as I cannot concentrate on the paperwork with them buzzing around.

Thoroughly recommended!

[nepia]

Glad to hear it.  Almost no wasps here this summer and I've only found a couple of hibernating queens so far.

 

More generally I was thinking while driving home just now that I know it's the last day of October but it's 12C out there; where are the bugs?  Not a moth to be seen in the headlights (though having recently had five species of bat identified as being active around the house could be a reason!)

[Stubby]

6 minutes ago, nepia said:

Glad to hear it.  Almost no wasps here this summer and I've only found a couple of hibernating queens so far.

 

More generally I was thinking while driving home just now that I know it's the last day of October but it's 12C out there; where are the bugs?  Not a moth to be seen in the headlights (though having recently had five species of bat identified as being active around the house could be a reason!)

I have had 2 queen wasps indoors from the logs but loads of moths in my face when walking the dog with my head torch on . 5:30 am prior to the clocks going back .

[Billhook]

14 minutes ago, nepia said:

Glad to hear it.  Almost no wasps here this summer and I've only found a couple of hibernating queens so far.

 

More generally I was thinking while driving home just now that I know it's the last day of October but it's 12C out there; where are the bugs?  Not a moth to be seen in the headlights (though having recently had five species of bat identified as being active around the house could be a reason!)

Agree about the lack of bugs on the car windscreen, even on the 186 mile journey in the sunshine from here to Oxford in late September.  However in October there were thousands of midges gathering in the corn store eaves and ridge which had been warmed by the sun on the metal sheeting.  Quite a few butterflies, a very late Brimstone, but hardly a moth to be seen.

Queen wasps everywhere and I was buzzed by a massive queen hornet yesterday.  

[Billhook]

Still finding at least three queens per wood box  (one ton potato box loose packed stored in open fronted shed)

All caught and released

[nepia]

I've found a few more since last posting.  Probably a dozen or so in total in my IBC cages.  I re-locate them to a cage of fresher logs that I know aren't gong to be disturbed until well after they're due to be away again.  I hope the disturbance isn't too traumatic

[dig-dug-dan]

12 so far buzzing around my conservatory, and only 6 baskets of logs I'm from the shed. They get released, but they wont survive. Not been stung yet

[Billhook]

On 14/11/2021 at 21:50, dig-dug-dan said:

12 so far buzzing around my conservatory, and only 6 baskets of logs I'm from the shed. They get released, but they wont survive. Not been stung yet

Been nice warn sunny days here in the East Midlands when I released mine.  Might they not find another Winter home?

[Macpherson]

Up here in the north west more wasps this year than I've ever seen before, trying to work in the shed with a byke in the rafters became impossible.. had to smoke them out with a smokie fire in a digger bucket.. shed now stinks😁

 

General observations from this year around here are....

 

Bats, not as many as in the past but still around

Moths, next to none.

Butterflies, more than usual, species and numbers.

Bees,  same  as above

Midges, started bad but ended up tolerable... if that's possible !

Fresh run Salmon, zero.

 

I think that bugs on your windscreen or visor is a pretty good gauge of insect populations abundance and compared to my youth there's no comparison.

I'd have to say that in my life moths and wild salmon are the most noticeable casualties but I sure know that there are many others and it's interesting to hear what folk notice in different parts of our small island👍

[nepia]

Bats - 5 species active near the house in a recent survey

Moths - see above and guess!

Butterflies - poor to average this year; highlight was a Silver-Washed Fritillary in the garden a few times

Bees - good numbers of Bumbles, average Honey types, a few solitaries (well there wouldn't be hordes of them would there!)

Midges - still here in the afternoons.  With the current still warm weather I wear a beanie after lunch if I'm home

Salmon - not locally as far as I know 😊