Earlier this month, a friend called, asking what he should do with a Mexican honey wasp nest. Thomas works in the landscape business and found this nest on a property. The owner wanted it GONE. So long story short, we got it! The nest now resides in our Wildscape. And it is awesome!
First, I'd never even heard of honey wasps. Have you? Right away, James read up on them. And right away, I need to tell you that they are wonderful pollinators and not aggressive unless strongly provoked. Thomas was able to move the nest, complete with wasps, around like he did because of the cold temperatures at the time.
Mexican honey wasps (Brachygastra mellifica) range from central Texas down to Mexico and Central America. They're not hairy like bees and are much smaller. Like bees, they produce and store honey. Their paper nests, however, can get as large as a basketball and house as many as 50,000 cells. For more info, check out entomologist Mike Quinn's page, Mexican Honey Wasp.
Photos below taken January 31, 2018
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| UPDATE February 19, 2018 |
1 comment:
That is amazing! I didn't know we had such things in Central Texas. They seem very docile and amiable about the move. I hope they enjoy pollinating your area.
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