WriggleNightbug
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2019
- Messages
- 3
Hi everyone, I'm new here and I want to talk about wasp keeping. I've been keeping wasps for quite awhile now and have been keeping them in an outdoors set up and am on my second nest (first nest sadly all died out eventually[more on this below]).
I have a see-through birdfeeder on my porch and one day there were wasps in it. Unlike any reasonable person I just let them live there and make their nest. The wasps were incredibly docile, they never once tried to attack or anything. The wasps were almost always present on the porch when I or my family was out there during the day. We had some cardboard and a wicker basket that they were using for nesting materials. They would fly back and forth from the nest to the materials. You could watch them chew on the stuff outside. They would even chew stuff like metal which was pretty cute and silly. They also quite enjoyed the food set out for hummingbirds and would lick up the drops the birds left behind. The wasps were so docile I would sit next to the nest and watch them build it. They would flap their wings crazy fast when on the nest. At night you could watch them all huddled together asleep. I never noticed a single queen or baby and they eventually all died out. I believe right before the colony died the last few wasps took off for greener pastures (or a mass suicide, mating, who knows).
I was really disheartened when the wasps were gone but fast-forward, new wasps! A new group of wasps took hold in the same bird feeder. Oddly enough they have started an entire new nest above the old nest, it would be easier for them to just build off the abandoned one but I guess they only want new. These new wasps are also quite docile despite not being around the porch as much. We no longer have as much materials out and the hummingbird food isn't as frequent, but they still let me stay on the porch with them when they're present.
Wasps are quite silly little things, they buzz around the porch chewing random things and like to ride the wind currents around the roof. I've seen them make use of the wind currents to quickly ascend high up in the sky past the trees. These new wasps are especially fond of part of the roof but I haven't been able to see what they're doing exactly. Maybe they got into the house and are ripping bits of wood out or something. Its quite nice having a friendly relationship with the wasps though. Just today I was outside and someone had discarded an apple onto the ground. I somehow didn't notice it until I was right up on it and wasps started swarming everywhere. They were my wasps, knew I wasn't a threat, then carried on about their business. When I got into the house I checked the nest and sure enough, all of them were gone to feast on the apple.
Again though, I haven't noticed any queen or babies so this nest will likely face the same fate as the previous, I hope they can survive the upcoming winter. I have seen two completely unrelated queen wasps, I'm honestly surprised my wasps haven't tried to fight them over territory, perhaps I raised them too nicely? One queen looked an awful lot like my wasps but bigger. This one constantly tried to enter the house through the backdoor, I love wasps but I don't want an alien one in my house laying eggs! There has also been another queen of a different species appearing on the other side of the house trying to enter ventilation vents. I dubbed this one as "Omega Wasp" as its absolutely enormous, its quite dark in color as well. I haven't seen this one in months though, perhaps it found a better nesting spot.
Does anyone else keep wasps? I would love to hear about more observations in wasp keeping, they're very underrated and misunderstood pets.
Also, wasp-keeping, and all other stinging buggies, are all highly dangerous to keep. Please be careful and know you're doing your actions on your own, I'm not liable if you get hurt.
I have a see-through birdfeeder on my porch and one day there were wasps in it. Unlike any reasonable person I just let them live there and make their nest. The wasps were incredibly docile, they never once tried to attack or anything. The wasps were almost always present on the porch when I or my family was out there during the day. We had some cardboard and a wicker basket that they were using for nesting materials. They would fly back and forth from the nest to the materials. You could watch them chew on the stuff outside. They would even chew stuff like metal which was pretty cute and silly. They also quite enjoyed the food set out for hummingbirds and would lick up the drops the birds left behind. The wasps were so docile I would sit next to the nest and watch them build it. They would flap their wings crazy fast when on the nest. At night you could watch them all huddled together asleep. I never noticed a single queen or baby and they eventually all died out. I believe right before the colony died the last few wasps took off for greener pastures (or a mass suicide, mating, who knows).
I was really disheartened when the wasps were gone but fast-forward, new wasps! A new group of wasps took hold in the same bird feeder. Oddly enough they have started an entire new nest above the old nest, it would be easier for them to just build off the abandoned one but I guess they only want new. These new wasps are also quite docile despite not being around the porch as much. We no longer have as much materials out and the hummingbird food isn't as frequent, but they still let me stay on the porch with them when they're present.
Wasps are quite silly little things, they buzz around the porch chewing random things and like to ride the wind currents around the roof. I've seen them make use of the wind currents to quickly ascend high up in the sky past the trees. These new wasps are especially fond of part of the roof but I haven't been able to see what they're doing exactly. Maybe they got into the house and are ripping bits of wood out or something. Its quite nice having a friendly relationship with the wasps though. Just today I was outside and someone had discarded an apple onto the ground. I somehow didn't notice it until I was right up on it and wasps started swarming everywhere. They were my wasps, knew I wasn't a threat, then carried on about their business. When I got into the house I checked the nest and sure enough, all of them were gone to feast on the apple.
Again though, I haven't noticed any queen or babies so this nest will likely face the same fate as the previous, I hope they can survive the upcoming winter. I have seen two completely unrelated queen wasps, I'm honestly surprised my wasps haven't tried to fight them over territory, perhaps I raised them too nicely? One queen looked an awful lot like my wasps but bigger. This one constantly tried to enter the house through the backdoor, I love wasps but I don't want an alien one in my house laying eggs! There has also been another queen of a different species appearing on the other side of the house trying to enter ventilation vents. I dubbed this one as "Omega Wasp" as its absolutely enormous, its quite dark in color as well. I haven't seen this one in months though, perhaps it found a better nesting spot.
Does anyone else keep wasps? I would love to hear about more observations in wasp keeping, they're very underrated and misunderstood pets.
Also, wasp-keeping, and all other stinging buggies, are all highly dangerous to keep. Please be careful and know you're doing your actions on your own, I'm not liable if you get hurt.
