16 Aug
2020
16 Aug
'20
8:25 p.m.
Dear All,
   While having an afternoon snack in the yard yesterday at a plastic
table with cranberry cocktail with a bit of white sugar to wash down
crackers I was visited by yellowjackets who tried to walk down the
inside of the glass and usually ended up swimming. So I rescued the
swimmers and spooned about 10 ml onto the table surface.
   When a wasp was feeding at a puddle large enough to feed many it
would at first viciously attack any wasp who tried to join it and they
would both try to sting each other while flying a foot or so above the
table doing impressive flight stunts.
   There seemed to be some learning involved because after several
such violent encounters the usual reaction, when an arriving wasp was
about to land nearby, was to simply take off and circle around it as it
landed or flew off, seemingly to not be caught in a vulnerable position;
the worst apparently being on the table. And today there were no violent
reactions and often up to five feeding in a saucer sized area.
   Their feeding gave me an opportunity to watch this up close many
times. When drinking, the two or three terminal abdominal segments
appeared to be rapidly withdrawn and then rapidly extended a very small
amount so the overall impression was a quivering up and down of the end
of the abdomen.
   I gather this is a mechanism for drawing liquid into the digestive
tract via the mouth.
YT, DW, Kentville
16 Aug
16 Aug
9:52 p.m.
That's cool. I'll try that next time I'm consuming something wasps want
to share -- a saucer might be a good idea.
An idea for restaurants: Now that everyone is eating outside on decks,
and wasps are always a bother this time of year, perhaps a large dish of
something really sweet would keep the wasps at their own table.
Cheers,
Doug
On 8/16/2020 8:25 PM, David Webster wrote:
Dear All,
   While having an afternoon snack in the yard yesterday at a plastic
table with cranberry cocktail with a bit of white sugar to wash down
crackers I was visited by yellowjackets who tried to walk down the
inside of the glass and usually ended up swimming. So I rescued the
swimmers and spooned about 10 ml onto the table surface.
   When a wasp was feeding at a puddle large enough to feed many it
would at first viciously attack any wasp who tried to join it and they
would both try to sting each other while flying a foot or so above the
table doing impressive flight stunts.
   There seemed to be some learning involved because after several
such violent encounters the usual reaction, when an arriving wasp was
about to land nearby, was to simply take off and circle around it as
it landed or flew off, seemingly to not be caught in a vulnerable
position; the worst apparently being on the table. And today there
were no violent reactions and often up to five feeding in a saucer
sized area.
   Their feeding gave me an opportunity to watch this up close many
times. When drinking, the two or three terminal abdominal segments
appeared to be rapidly withdrawn and then rapidly extended a very
small amount so the overall impression was a quivering up and down of
the end of the abdomen.
   I gather this is a mechanism for drawing liquid into the digestive
tract via the mouth.
YT, DW, Kentville
_______________________________________________
Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca
To unsubscribe send an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca
17 Aug
17 Aug
3:52 p.m.
I've tried this a number of times, but it's never worked. They still insist on
buzzing around my food.
Jane
-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Linzey
Sent: August 16, 2020 9:53 PM
To: naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: [Naturens] Re: Yellowjacket agression
That's cool. I'll try that next time I'm consuming something wasps want to
share -- a saucer might be a good idea.
An idea for restaurants: Now that everyone is eating outside on decks, and wasps are
always a bother this time of year, perhaps a large dish of something really sweet would
keep the wasps at their own table.
Cheers,
Doug
On 8/16/2020 8:25 PM, David Webster wrote:
Dear All,
While having an afternoon snack in the yard yesterday at a plastic
table with cranberry cocktail with a bit of white sugar to wash down
crackers I was visited by yellowjackets who tried to walk down the
inside of the glass and usually ended up swimming. So I rescued the
swimmers and spooned about 10 ml onto the table surface.
When a wasp was feeding at a puddle large enough to feed many it
would at first viciously attack any wasp who tried to join it and they
would both try to sting each other while flying a foot or so above the
table doing impressive flight stunts.
There seemed to be some learning involved because after several
such violent encounters the usual reaction, when an arriving wasp was
about to land nearby, was to simply take off and circle around it as
it landed or flew off, seemingly to not be caught in a vulnerable
position; the worst apparently being on the table. And today there
were no violent reactions and often up to five feeding in a saucer
sized area.
Their feeding gave me an opportunity to watch this up close many
times. When drinking, the two or three terminal abdominal segments
appeared to be rapidly withdrawn and then rapidly extended a very
small amount so the overall impression was a quivering up and down of
the end of the abdomen.
I gather this is a mechanism for drawing liquid into the digestive
tract via the mouth.
YT, DW, Kentville
_______________________________________________
Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca To unsubscribe send
an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca
_______________________________________________
Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca To unsubscribe send an email to
naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca
7:58 p.m.
Hi Doug, Jane & All,
   In spite of the ample supplies of juice, which they obviously
enjoyed, they buzzed my face from time to time and many people go
bananas when this happens.
   So providing attractive food, such as rotten apples, to attract
wasps from the dining tables would be a gamble.
   They do enjoy corn cobs before or after buttered corn is chewed off
so that might draw them away provided that was he only available corn.
   Today, in spite of it being cool, windy and at times spitting rain
this afternoon they appeared as soon as I set the table upright and
continued hanging around, and landing on the table long after I had set
it on its side. And this evening they frequently buzzed my face while I
was working in the yard.
   In the 40's and 50's, when mowing blue grass (about 7' tall) with a
scythe on points jutting into bends of the Cornwallis river I tried to
keep someone who chewed tobacco handy. There was at least one Black Wasp
nest on nearly every point and they make a Yellowjacket sting feel
painless by comparison. For some reason, perhaps osmotic, perhaps a
nicotine effect, a fresh gob of chewing tobacco applied soon after a
sting would render it free of pain, itch or swelling.
   If one can still buy liquid Deep Woods insect repellent, as opposed
to the spray material which I have not tested, it is very good for
repelling Yellowjackets.
YT, DW, Kentville
On 8/17/2020 3:52 PM, dschlosb-g(a)ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
> I've tried this a number of times, but it's never worked. They still insist
on buzzing around my food.
> Jane
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Doug Linzey
> Sent: August 16, 2020 9:53 PM
> To: naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: [Naturens] Re: Yellowjacket agression
>
> That's cool. I'll try that next time I'm consuming something wasps want
to share -- a saucer might be a good idea.
>
> An idea for restaurants: Now that everyone is eating outside on decks, and wasps are
always a bother this time of year, perhaps a large dish of something really sweet would
keep the wasps at their own table.
>
> Cheers,
> Doug
>
> On 8/16/2020 8:25 PM, David Webster wrote:
>> Dear All,
>>
>> While having an afternoon snack in the yard yesterday at a plastic
>> table with cranberry cocktail with a bit of white sugar to wash down
>> crackers I was visited by yellowjackets who tried to walk down the
>> inside of the glass and usually ended up swimming. So I rescued the
>> swimmers and spooned about 10 ml onto the table surface.
>>
>> When a wasp was feeding at a puddle large enough to feed many it
>> would at first viciously attack any wasp who tried to join it and they
>> would both try to sting each other while flying a foot or so above the
>> table doing impressive flight stunts.
>>
>> There seemed to be some learning involved because after several
>> such violent encounters the usual reaction, when an arriving wasp was
>> about to land nearby, was to simply take off and circle around it as
>> it landed or flew off, seemingly to not be caught in a vulnerable
>> position; the worst apparently being on the table. And today there
>> were no violent reactions and often up to five feeding in a saucer
>> sized area.
>>
>> Their feeding gave me an opportunity to watch this up close many
>> times. When drinking, the two or three terminal abdominal segments
>> appeared to be rapidly withdrawn and then rapidly extended a very
>> small amount so the overall impression was a quivering up and down of
>> the end of the abdomen.
>>
>> I gather this is a mechanism for drawing liquid into the digestive
>> tract via the mouth.
>>
>> YT, DW, Kentville
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca To unsubscribe send
>> an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca
> _______________________________________________
> Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca To unsubscribe send an email to
naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca
> _______________________________________________
> Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca
> To unsubscribe send an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca
10:55 p.m.
Another salve for wasp stings: Chew on a plantain leaf or two until it
forms a paste with your saliva. Apply it to the sting.
Tested successfully in the field,
Doug
On 8/17/2020 7:58 PM, David Webster wrote:
Hi Doug, Jane & All,
   In spite of the ample supplies of juice, which they obviously
enjoyed, they buzzed my face from time to time and many people go
bananas when this happens.
   So providing attractive food, such as rotten apples, to attract
wasps from the dining tables would be a gamble.
   They do enjoy corn cobs before or after buttered corn is chewed
off so that might draw them away provided that was he only available
corn.
   Today, in spite of it being cool, windy and at times spitting rain
this afternoon they appeared as soon as I set the table upright and
continued hanging around, and landing on the table long after I had
set it on its side. And this evening they frequently buzzed my face
while I was working in the yard.
   In the 40's and 50's, when mowing blue grass (about 7' tall) with
a scythe on points jutting into bends of the Cornwallis river I tried
to keep someone who chewed tobacco handy. There was at least one Black
Wasp nest on nearly every point and they make a Yellowjacket sting
feel painless by comparison. For some reason, perhaps osmotic, perhaps
a nicotine effect, a fresh gob of chewing tobacco applied soon after a
sting would render it free of pain, itch or swelling.
   If one can still buy liquid Deep Woods insect repellent, as
opposed to the spray material which I have not tested, it is very good
for repelling Yellowjackets.
YT, DW, Kentville
On 8/17/2020 3:52 PM, dschlosb-g(a)ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
I've tried this a number of times, but
it's never worked. They still
insist on buzzing around my food.
Jane
-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Linzey
Sent: August 16, 2020 9:53 PM
To: naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: [Naturens] Re: Yellowjacket agression
That's cool. I'll try that next time I'm consuming something wasps
want to share -- a saucer might be a good idea.
An idea for restaurants: Now that everyone is eating outside on
decks, and wasps are always a bother this time of year, perhaps a
large dish of something really sweet would keep the wasps at their
own table.
Cheers,
Doug
On 8/16/2020 8:25 PM, David Webster wrote:
_______________________________________________
Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca
To unsubscribe send an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca Dear All,
    While having an afternoon snack in the yard yesterday at a plastic
table with cranberry cocktail with a bit of white sugar to wash down
crackers I was visited by yellowjackets who tried to walk down the
inside of the glass and usually ended up swimming. So I rescued the
swimmers and spooned about 10 ml onto the table surface.
    When a wasp was feeding at a puddle large enough to feed many it
would at first viciously attack any wasp who tried to join it and they
would both try to sting each other while flying a foot or so above the
table doing impressive flight stunts.
    There seemed to be some learning involved because after several
such violent encounters the usual reaction, when an arriving wasp was
about to land nearby, was to simply take off and circle around it as
it landed or flew off, seemingly to not be caught in a vulnerable
position; the worst apparently being on the table. And today there
were no violent reactions and often up to five feeding in a saucer
sized area.
    Their feeding gave me an opportunity to watch this up close many
times. When drinking, the two or three terminal abdominal segments
appeared to be rapidly withdrawn and then rapidly extended a very
small amount so the overall impression was a quivering up and down of
the end of the abdomen.
    I gather this is a mechanism for drawing liquid into the digestive
tract via the mouth.
YT, DW, Kentville
_______________________________________________
Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca To unsubscribe send
an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca
_______________________________________________
Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca To unsubscribe send
an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca
_______________________________________________
Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca
To unsubscribe send an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca
1368
days inactive
1370
days old
4 comments
3 participants
participants (3)
-
David Webster -
Doug Linzey -
dschlosb-g＠ns.sympatico.ca