Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Trespassers will be stung

Whenever I linger too long near the garden gate, I start to get the feeling that I ought to move on.  This feeling arises around the time that a wasp flies up to inspect me.  If I don't immediately respond to the impulse to flee the area, the wasp circles menacingly -- and the impulse grows almost unbearable. 

These "guard" wasps are European paper wasps (Polistes dominula) and they have built several nests on the fence, including right next to the hinges of the gate. 

A European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) guards its nest.

The wasps sitting on the nests are very attentive to anything moving nearby.  Thankfully, the one in the video below stayed on the nest to defend it, rather than flying up to attack.

* To see this video in high definition (1080p), you may need to (1) click "YouTube" to watch on the YouTube website and (2) change the settings at the bottom of the video screen.

When I approached the larger nest, all three wasps turned to watch me.  Unlike at the previous nest, one wasp looked like it was preparing to take flight.  I took this as a signal that I should retreat.  In order to get a better look, I had to come back at night, when the wasps were less easily agitated.

European paper wasps (Polistes dominula) on their nest at night.

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