Relocating D maculata....

[Tleilaxu]

Well some backround info: I friend of mine was trimming a tree when he accidentally angered a Dolichovespula maculata nest(Bald faced hornet) I was asking about the size of the nest and offered to take it cause hey I am wasp nut, and I wanted to see if i could keep them in captivity as far as I know no one has done work with this species before... this was a few days ago

As of Yesterday...
ahahahahaha.... I just bit off more than I could chew LOL the nest is much MUCH larger than a baseball AND I already have it captive yet unattachted to anything, I dont know how I am gonna do this, man these things are as all heck, one that was not captured followed and stung me over 100 feet from the former nest location. Chilling will be the only option they are just too defensive right now, there are 40 to 50 workers on the nest. I dont think I am gonna do anything more with them tonight. Luckily they have crushed crab apples to hold them over till I decide how to tackle this, anyways here are the pics!

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh195/Polistes/100_2910.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh195/Polistes/100_2912.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh195/Polistes/100_2914.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh195/Polistes/100_2915.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh195/Polistes/100_2916.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh195/Polistes/100_2918.jpg

The nest also appears to have multiple entrances and exits....(for you non wasp and hornet people this means you cant plug the entrance hole to keep them trapped in their nest also more can swarm out at once in defensice of the nest.) I captured them by hold the KK below the nest as as the branch was cut slam the cover on, it worked failr well only one or two got away. I got stung once and it hurts LOL and they can do it more than once.

Well I think I will chill them down and try to attach them and their nest to a tree outdoors since they are waaaay to jumpy right now.

As a general update they have calmed dfown quite a deal, while they dont do an all out defensive responce they still swarm in the nest area but dont fly everywhere. So I have been able to slip them food and water which they are happily eating now. Also this towel seems to confuse them

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh195/Polistes/000_4580.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh195/Polistes/000_4584.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh195/Polistes/000_4585.jpg

I will be relocating this nest to an tree somewhere as they will require too much live food to keep properly.

 

[Tleilaxu]

Well its finally done! It was a resounding sucess, this colony will now be able to complete its cycle and add fresh genetics to the gene pool here!

Well its finally done! After 1 hour 90 minutes in the fridge I was just barely able to secure the nest too its new spot, no sooner had I removed the cotton plug then the nastiest defensive swarm I have seen occured, I would say that out of the time only 10 to 15 workers died under my care, this leaves 30+ plus to help restart the colony and I should have tons of new queens, not to mention a pretty nest to collect at the end of the year, I lost my tongs though, I will have to get them at night once they calmed down, as of now I cannot even approach the nest close enough to take photos! Here are the pics!

Here they are using my accidental honey dish that I dropped.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/Tleilaxu/100_2923.jpg

Now the nest in the new location with the cotton plug, I wanted pics of the nest without the plug but they were not having that! In a few weeks they will settle down to their normalselves and I should be able to get really good pics, and my tongs back!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/Tleilaxu/100_2971.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/Tleilaxu/100_2972.jpg

Hopefully the devloping males and queens will not be stunted to their brief stay in captivity.

 

[OldHag]

Thats great!! Im glad you saved them. Ive always wondered if you could do that sucessfully but have been unwilling to try since the incident.. (Got stung under an eye.. not good)
We have a bald faced wasp nest in our back yard. We take pictures everyday of how it is growing. Its been fun. The wasps catch flies by the chicken coop!! Its amazing!

 

[moose35]

good job.:clap:
cool thread.

the more i see these posts about wasps the more i'm fascinated by them.

you should try to img tag your pics from photobucket. so they show as pics and not links.



moose

 

[Tleilaxu]

good job.:clap:
cool thread.

the more i see these posts about wasps the more i'm fascinated by them.

you should try to img tag your pics from photobucket. so they show as pics and not links.



moose

If I did that your internet would crash, and this forum does not resize the pics, and I am too lazy to resize them myself.

 

[Tleilaxu]

Well its a failure, the nest got eaten by squirrels and the adults fled, and now have nothing to do. There are no combs left on the nest, and despite the bad weather we had here the nest or whats left of it is still attachted to the tree, all that effort wasted.

I got my tongs back though but thats a small prize.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/Tleilaxu/100_3021.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/Tleilaxu/100_3020.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/Tleilaxu/100_3023.jpg

 

[OldHag]

Thats too bad! Brave squirrels...wow.