What is this?

[speckledhen]

I smash them, too. I hate wasps.

 

[rancher hicks]

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

Sure but if they eat spiders, which I hate more, and the pollinate my garden, then they provide a service right? I hate this #$%^ BR rooster and I've nearly smashed him a few times, but I haven't. YET!

(I'm saving eggs to hatch).
It's' really in a corner and no traffic area.

BTW, I got two egg yesterday from 10 hens. True two are SLW and I've seen them laying, but I wonder if the BR's are upset at seeing me chase that darn rooster with a stick?

 

[Gomes Bantams]

Be careful rancher hicks, dont start nothin on this thread


And to the one who said "knock it down" those are BENIFICAL. They kill spiders and pollenate.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Funny story, true story...... The store I work at is over run with those things, what we call "dirt daubers". We have them at home too, but they never bother anyone, so we just leave them be. I have caught them in my hand and carried them out of the house a million times and never been stung---I always assumed that they COULDN'T sting. Anyway, so back to the store..... When I first started working there, the owner asked me to take this scraper thing and knock down the nests, so I did. First nest, started to scrape it down when a whole glob of spiders fell on my head!!! I threw a fit and refused to knock any more down. The owner said I was over-reacting and went out to do it himself. He came running back in a few minutes later yelling "get them off! get them off!", covered in spiders too! Bleck, they pay someone to come out and pressure wash them away now! And the ones here at home are practically worshiped for their spider-killing status!

 

[rancher hicks]

Gomes - not sure what I'd be starting, but don't worry.

As for the Wasps thing? It's staying as long as they leave me alone, just like you folks.

Love ya,

rancher

 

[redhen]

If they kill spiders KEEP them!

 

[Bunnylady]

We have several species of mud daubers around here, and each makes a different type of nest. Some are long, like the ones in the OP's pic, some are much shorter, some are nearly spherical. The most annoying ones don't make a tube, but take advantage of anything tube-shaped they can find. We regularly find things like the screw pockets on the side of the electric drill capped off by one of these guys (or rather, gals). If a backpack blower or similar piece of gas-powered equipment won't start, one of the first things to check is the muffler, because the little buzzards will plug up the exhaust ports.

 

[theoldchick]

I leave them alone. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. I find the engineering behind the mud constructing fascinating. How do those mud nest stand up so well against the weather?

Wasps who sting, though, are sprayed at first sight if they are hanging around my house or barn.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Oh yeah, the wasps have got to go!!! Oh and those nasty asian wasp thigs that look like yellow jackets on steroids!! I hate those little boogers! Did you know they kill honey bees?!?

They must all die!

Oh gosh, sorry.... Ran off on a tangent there!

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

In my grandparent's (well, really great-great-great grandfather's) 156 year old barn the ceiling is COVERED in mud daubers. These are like little balls of mud with holes in them though (I've never seen the tube ones). I'm sure some of them are as old as the barn, because the ceiling is way to high to go up and knock them down. It was really funny when we were having a party up there, and one fell down, right in my aun'ts margarita *muahahaha* Most are uninhabitied, so if you jump up and down really hard, or even better, stack up some bales of Prairie Hay and jump off them, they'll fall down. Then you get to smash them.

*Yes, this is how bored country kids spend their summers. It is actually very entertaining, and when you pull out the little wasp shell, you can scare the city family (who think they are "countery bumpeekens (as they THINK we would say)) with it.*

Sorry to hijack the thread, but it brings back memories, from last week.....