Wasp nest

[woof]

Today while working, i strimmed a wasp nest(by accident), they were out like a shot in a big cloud of them, they were fast, but this old boys still got some moves on him & i was faster, & survived the incident unscathed.
Is it just me or are there more about this year, looking through my books & its the 10th nest i've come across this year, normally its 1 or 2 a year.

Rob

 

[Big G]

Used to come across loads of em, when i was in the roofing game. Esp striping old roofs off, i got swarmed once when i was treating the old timbers with a wood preserve in a spray gun. I think i must of sprayed the nest, and provoked them.

 

[Drain Bamaged]

I think we got away with another mild winter here in Lincs. woof and also avoided most of the floods that a lot of others suffered, a fairly early unchangeable spring simply meant a lot more surviving Queens.....There does seem to be a lot around this year and also showing earlier in numbers I think.....though saying that when the River Trent was in full swing I often collected up to 40 nests a year for bait, I don't think I have come across anywhere near that number for a few years now....I will say that nowadays I do not destroy them unless they are actually causing problems they do a lot more good than many people realise and for the second year running I have a Hornets nest in my bit of woodland and they really are interesting to watch all be it carefully.

D.B.

One little tip if you are strimming. laying etc......they love to nest near a 'marker' White fence post. Sign, Telegraph pole etc. something they can home in on from distance, so it is often worth paying a little more attention if there is something distinctive stuck in the hedge or verge.