wasp nest in veggie garden

[tippler]

There is a very small group of people out there who actually keep wasps as pets. The video is of a hand feeding. Years ago when I first heard of this, the guy I talked to would even let them walk on his hand without issue. As long as they are used to you, and know your not going to hurt them, they quickly learn that you bring them food and are a friendly giant.
I found a better video, where it actually walks on his hand. So I am editing this to swap out links This thing is HUGE. lol. Hes crazy. btw, they put sugar water or something sweet on their fingers and let them eat it off. Thats how the "training" starts, so they associate your hands with good stuff.
www.maniacworld.com/My_Pet_Wasp.htm

When I was young, I was walking next to an above ground pool. I had a very large wasp or hornet fly right past me and into the side of the pool. Then it turned around and instantly stung me like I did it. Stupid bug was probably drunk off fermented something or other. Kinda left bad blood between me and them for a while.

[philagardener]

Wasp Whisperer . . . I can see the feature film now . . .

[Deleted]

Giant Asian Hornets were supposedly imported as pets.

[steev]

The very large, solitary, tarantula wasps in SoCal are gorgeous, purple and orange; I've no idea how docile they might be, nor what they eat; they hunt tarantulas to bury with one of their eggs. I just realized that's all "women's" work; I've no idea what the male's life is. Possibly they're superfluous post-fertilization, and just hang out drinking beer in the shade, like human males and the lordly male lion; well, someone has to do it, or the beer and shade would go to waste.

In another vein, I've seen far fewer paper wasps on the farm, this year and last; I've no idea what that means. There have never been many mud-daubers (it's a dry environment).

[steev]

I've still not seen a single paper-wasp nest, although there are wasps working the broken fruit; they're probably all nesting in my '62 Valiant; years ago, they were everywhere. I remember one cold Winter morning picking up a piece of plywood and carrying it out to where I thought to use it; there were nine wasp queens hibernating on that board! It's interesting how populations of critters ebb and flow.

[philagardener]

Jun 30, 2014 21:48:58 GMT -5 steev said:

I've still not seen a single paper-wasp nest, although there are wasps working the broken fruit; they're probably all nesting in my '62 Valiant; years ago, they were everywhere.

Close - probably one more over, in the '74 Hornet.