wasps

1. 67

   alternate poetposted 14 years ago

   near my balcony hidden under an air con box is a round football sized wasp nest. These are some kind of insect eting or gathering critter.  They occasionally come in and scout the house for (I think) spiders but do not buzz and don't bother anyone.
   
   Thing is three days ago at around 35 degrees C the nest had four entrance holes - then they blocked the lowest to leave just one at the top, that night the temperature dropped dramatically (to about 18 C)and it rained. This morning they unplugged one hole lower down and an hour later the rain stopped and the temperature went up around 10 degrees.
   
   Do you think there is a wasp god who tells them what to do, or do they come in my house to check the weather on my computer desktop thingy ?

   replyreport
   1. 59

      dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      its a darwin thing!....lol

      replyreport
   2. 73

      Jeff Berndtposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Dude, they have their own bluetooth weather thingy. They're stealing your broadband.

      replyreport
      1. 67

         alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         You may be right - these critters don't buzz!  they are pretty fearsome looking and patrol in total silence. I sometimes get the feeling of being watched and it is usually one of these inch long air combat vehicles 'inspecting' me !  I did suspect they were US drones spying on my forum posts for a while.

         replyreport
   3. 61

      Joe Badtoeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Those white anglo saxon protestants get everywhere Alt.
      
      be careful.

      replyreport
      1. 67

         alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Nah - these are steel grey !  must be episcopalians !

         replyreport
2. 75

   Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

   
   
   I wouldn't trust em if I were you, AP.

   replyreport
   1. 67

      alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Don't think it is these either, my critters clearly have at least some residual intelligence

      replyreport
3. 0

   BRIAN SLATERposted 14 years ago

   There probably just checking your latest hub and your adsense account

   replyreport
   1. 67

      alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Are you inferring that the little jiggling air dance thing is them rolling about laughing !

      replyreport
4. 0

   zampanoposted 14 years ago

   It's the component miniaturization miracle.
   So, you don't need a barometer any more...

   replyreport
   1. 67

      alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This is absolutely true.  Since I have taken to watching them they have never been wrong, if they open the ventilators it is going to get hot, if they close the bottom holes it is going to rain.  They act about an hour before it rains and at least a half day before any major temperature change, the current tail end of a cyclone that has been dribbling al over us they predicted a full day before it came.

      replyreport
5. 66

   ceciliabeltranposted 14 years ago

   you must live in an upper class neighborhood with lots of spas, gyms and fancy french restaurants.

   replyreport
   1. 67

      alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      WOW - you are so nearly right !  I live in China, in an apartment at the back of a University with just a fantastic rural view from the front with those impressive limestone clyst mountains jutting up everywhere and windy river with clear water running through. Behind are the street food stalls, markets and about a million farm carts selling the most delicious melons.
      
      But these wasps are not the aggressive yellow and black striped religious types.  These are more cutting edge philosphy. They seem to prey on insects and I watch them occasionally bringing back beetles (I think from my distance) bigger than themselves ! It would appear that they can't keep their legs round their victim to land properly and keep falling off on impact until a few of the others rsuh out and grab it !

      replyreport
6. 75

   Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

   I think it must be time for me to close my computer and rest my eyes for awhile.
   AP, I read your sentence as "...about a million farm cats selling the most delicious melons."
   What a vision that was!

   replyreport
   1. 67

      alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      And so nearly right !  but no cats only people

      replyreport
7. 67

   alternate poetposted 14 years ago

   Wasps 1 - weather forecast 0
   
   Forecast said it would warm up signicantly and the rain would ease up.  Wasps did not unplug any of the lower holes in their nest knowing that it would not.  The wasps were right, I am thinking of installing a camera on them and feeding it to my desktop to get the real deal each day.

   replyreport
8. 60

   WuldUStilRemebrMeposted 14 years ago

   Setting up a camera would be quite interesting to see.  I have viewed sites with cameras eyeing eagles or different birds and their nests.

   replyreport
   1. 67

      alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      More interesting than you might think - it is under the air con across fifteen feet of fourth floor balnk wall - and the any thought of poking a camera on the end of a stick at them should also consider they are some kind of insect eating wasp and about an inch long.  I would hate to be hung out there if they decided I was a threat !

      replyreport