What is this?

[rancher hicks]

This is on the side of my house underneath the eaves. Good or Bad? Not big enough for bats or birds.

Those black spots are actually holes in it. I didn't see any creatures around it. I don't know how long it has been there either.

 

[dainerra]

it's a mud dauber's nest

 

[Gomes Bantams]

Yep. There harmless if you don't bother her nest.

 

[rancher hicks]

What do "mud daubers" do? It's been so dry, I'd be surprised if it's from this year. Though I do water the garden every day and Lord knows the creek has dried up pretty good.

 

[just me]

We call them "dirt daubers". I think they store insects in their nests to eat later. If you take it down, you will probably find a lot of dead bugs in there. They resemble wasps (to me at least) but don't sting.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Those are for there eggs. They build those to lay eggs in. Harmless but an eyesore.

 

[catdaddyfro]

We call them "dirt daubers". I think they store insects in their nests to eat later. If you take it down, you will probably find a lot of dead bugs in there. They resemble wasps (to me at least) but don't sting.

Yeah that's what their called around my part of the woods too they are in the wasp family and will sting you if provoked intensely, but its not a bad burning sting like their cousins the red, black, and guinea wasp administer along with their greeting for you. The nest has little compartments/sections inside each of those rows and each one is filled with bugs/spiders and eggs from the "dobbers". The bugs and spiders that are inside the nest aren't actually dead they are in a trans-like coma so they will still be alive and fresh for eating for the larva that will hatch from the "dobber" eggs and eventually metamorphose into juvenile wasp and they will chew/dig their way out of the nest.

Last week I walked out into the garage and something strange caught my eye it was a solid white dobber nest and we don't have white mud around here, what is said? I then realized we had some kitchen and inning room renovations here in the last few weeks well the dry-wall finisher had dumped out some drywall mud/texture outside where he washed off his tools and buckets, the darn dirt dobbers found this stuff and made themselves white castles out of it . i wanted to get a picture of it but tarried too long as usually and my nephew came along and wiped it out with a stick, KIDS! grr

Jeff

 

[rancher hicks]

I haven't disturbed it and don't plan to. I do have Wasps however and I spray those suckers. I've been stung once as they try to build nests just inside the coop doors. Also under the eaves on the house.

They are also the main predator of the black and brown widow spiders.

Organ-pipe mud daubers build their very distinctive and elegant tubes on vertical or horizontal faces of walls, cliffs, bridges, overhangs and shelter caves or other structures.


I believe I might have seen one or tow in my garden as I water. In this dry weather it's likely my garden may be the only place to find mud.

Adults of both sexes frequently drink flower nectar, but they stock their nests with spiders, which serve as food for their offspring

So they do pollinate I guess and that's good for my garden.

 

[duckinnut]

It kind of looks like the pan flute the half horse half man(minataur?) plays. Never saw a dauber build one like that around here but it is certainly what it is.

 

[kathyinmo]

Knock it down, or they will keep building more. I hate those dumb things. I smash every one I see.