Baldfaced Hornet Queens Dolichovespula maculata

[lucanidae]

Hey,
Found two queen baldfaced hornets today while looking for ant queens in the woods. I've never seen these not inside a big paper nest. They are super agressive, I'm glad it was a cool day. Currently they are trying to chew their way out of the cups I've got them in. Anyone kept these before?

 

[PhilK]

No, post a picture though please!

 

[Galapoheros]

I don't know much about hornets but I think new queens might be leaving nests and finding a place to hibernate over the winter and then start new nests next year. I just found a Yellowjacket nest yesterday, man!, I didn't think I could run that fast anymore!! They followed me for a long time !

 

[lucanidae]

I think you're right, but I plan to keep these queens next to my reef tank. This way they will get warmth and a long photoperiod and hopefully I can trick them into thinking winter is over. If not I can always pop them in the fridge for a few weeks and then try.

 

[Rochelle]

WHOA!!! You have more guts than I dooooo.....
I've been collecting these stupendous paper basket nests for years and I don't think I'd have the nerve to keep a queen in my home. Just bagging the nest is a feat of (stupidity) superhuman steel nerves.....
I salute your fortitude!:worship: :worship:

 

[Tleilaxu]

If they are still alive I strongly suggest letting them go, they must overwinter outdoors or they will die. Also they adapt poorly to captivity. If you want to start keeping these animals start off with paper wasps, they are far easier to maintain and care for.

 

[lucanidae]

I've got them in the fridge now. I see no reason why these should be unable to adapt to captivity, so I'm going to try and see what happens.

 

[Tleilaxu]

I've got them in the fridge now. I see no reason why these should be unable to adapt to captivity, so I'm going to try and see what happens.

Having kept them before I can say that they generally die with in a few days due to stress of a captive enviroment, If you get them to nest please tell us your methods as the personal recored for me is four days before my queen died. Other people have had similar results. One insstance a small nest was taken and the queen wore herself to death trying to get out of the cage and negelected her nest. These are not the easiest species to start with.

 

[Waspman]

It is much easier to relocate a small nest into captivity, as opposed to inducing her to nest. I've managed to hibernate several species (5 months) but they all failed to begin nesting when spring rolled around.

I also recommend Polistes sp. to start with, as their demands are minimal. With a D. maculata colony you would probably have to give them some opening in the cage to allow them to forage when their activity really picks up.

It's worth a try though, let us know how it goes. I would let them hibernate until winter is over, rather than tricking them into thinking it's spring now.

 

[andrew A davis]

the guy is just being stubborn.

 

[lucanidae]

the guy is just being stubborn.

Allow me to give my credentials. I have a degree in entomology which I completed in two years from Cornell University (one of the best institutions in the country for entomology) and was hired as a specialist for the Smithsonian Insect Zoo to design and build new exhibits for species never before put on display. I have been working with cultures of exotic arthropods for 7 years. I have successfully bred species no one else has in captivity.

Hardly any animal is impossible to keep in captivity, it's just a matter of dedicating the time and energy into respecting their needs. This kind of thing needs to be done, the more we work out how animals can be cultured the better chance we'll have of saving them as we continue to destroy the environment. Simply giving up and saying 'this species is too difficult' is not an option. I'm not endangering (nor effecting) the population of bald faced hornets by collecting two queens, and I'm confident I will be able to raise them in captivity. I don't see a reason for ridicule.

Oh, and you're right, I might be stubborn, but I get a whole lot accomplished.

Andrew, I saw when I searched you had caught a queen with her nest before. I would appreciate any helpful advice you might have as to how to keep this species. I also notice you have a thing for dung beetles. I recently helped in a big study of the dung beetles of New York dairy farms. Onthophagus are my favorite. Have you kept these in captivity much?

 

[andrew A davis]

nah sorry for being rude i was just bored and ornery..... sorry. tlielaxu has more experience with waspsand we have a bee and wasp forum at VL.Stop by when you get the chance.

 

[Tleilaxu]

Well good luck! Keep us posted on your methods. I recommend cardboard as a nesting material as they seem to be very choosey about wood types in a captive enviroment.

 

[Stylopidae]

Brown cardboard is the best nesting material for wasps. It blocks out light, is non toxic and can be used to build nests.

Other than that, I got nothing. I've never dealt with this species, although I recall a peer reviewed article on VL about this awhile back

 

[Waspman]

I hope my post didn't come across as being rude, I wanted to give some insight into what will work and what probably won't when rearing these from my experience.

Keep us posted!

Check out the Bee & Wasp forum at Venomlist, which has a ton of stuff dedicated to this.