Video Of Monster Nests

[Carolina_wolfie]

I finally got a video of my "wasp nest museum"! HOORAY!!! Anyway, it lasts approximately 10 minutes because I am narrating as I am shooting the video. Please remember to turn up the sound so you can hear me speak. Here ya go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XudBD8hzHTo

Please let me know what you think. Okay? Thanks!

 

[gvfarns]

I have to say you are the first person I know of who collects wasp nests. And collect them you do! Interesting and nice collection.

 

[Craig]

That is really, seriously awesome!!!!!!! Those must have been fairly difficult to obtain?! That is so freaking cool I'm speechless!

 

[Drachenjager]

quick tip, when you are out with your pellet gun and see a yellow jacket on the leaf litter , do not shoot it. If you do the ground will erupt wiht flying death and you will wind up hurting for days...if your lucky

 

[Deroplatys]

Has Guinness been calling yet?
lol

 

[El Viejo]

WOW! That's quite a collection. I am very impressed with the size of your collection as well as the variety. I believe we have the Mexican honey wasp here in South Texas. I have heard that it is the only true wasp that makes honey, but I don't know if that's true. I suspect there may be a few others that do. I do know that whatever it is that we have, it does make honey, and that nest of yours looks a lot like these.

 

[Carolina_wolfie]

Yeah, this is an unusual hobby. Nonetheless, thanks to the Internet, I know a few other wasp enthusiasts/nest collectors like me.

I have to say you are the first person I know of who collects wasp nests. And collect them you do! Interesting and nice collection.

 

[Carolina_wolfie]

Thank you very much! Your reaction is typical of most people who see my collection. LOL!!! I love blowing people's minds with my monster nests.

Yeah, some nests were more difficult to obtain than others. It just takes time & patience. I get most of my nests on the Internet.

That is really, seriously awesome!!!!!!! Those must have been fairly difficult to obtain?! That is so freaking cool I'm speechless!

 

[Carolina_wolfie]

It helps to use common sense around wasps and also have respect for them.

quick tip, when you are out with your pellet gun and see a yellow jacket on the leaf litter , do not shoot it. If you do the ground will erupt wiht flying death and you will wind up hurting for days...if your lucky

 

[Carolina_wolfie]

LOL!!! Nope.

Has Guinness been calling yet?
lol

 

[Carolina_wolfie]

I sincerely appreciate your comments.

Yep, what you are describing IS the Mexican honey wasp (Brachygastra mellifica). It occurs in South Texas and it is one of the few species of wasps which actually makes and stores honey. Here is more information for you to check out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_honey_wasp
and
http://www.texasento.net/Brachygastra.htm
and
http://bugguide.net/node/view/84824

The photo in the first link shows my nest which I've uploaded.

By the way, I been searching for a very long time for a source of Mexican honey wasp nests (TOO DANG LONG!!!) since I have only one nest of this species in my collection. I would love it if I could obtain more! Would you mind possibly collecting and sending some nests to me? You would make me the happiest person in the world if you could possibly do this for me! Of course, I will pay you for the cost of shipping. Please let me know. Thanks a million!

WOW! That's quite a collection. I am very impressed with the size of your collection as well as the variety. I believe we have the Mexican honey wasp here in South Texas. I have heard that it is the only true wasp that makes honey, but I don't know if that's true. I suspect there may be a few others that do. I do know that whatever it is that we have, it does make honey, and that nest of yours looks a lot like these.

 

[Vulgaris]

Nice your pic is used by wikipedia!

Yeah mexican honey wasps have to be one of my favorite southern species. They are fascinating, with they way they are swarm founding, they make honey, and their nests are uniquely built

 

[El Viejo]

By the way, I been searching for a very long time for a source of Mexican honey wasp nests (TOO DANG LONG!!!) since I have only one nest of this species in my collection. I would love it if I could obtain more! Would you mind possibly collecting and sending some nests to me? You would make me the happiest person in the world if you could possibly do this for me! Of course, I will pay you for the cost of shipping. Please let me know. Thanks a million!

I have been looking for them for quite a while now myself. My sister lives in East Texas and has been wanting one for years. I had sent her one about 15 years ago, and I think it deteriorated to the point where she threw it out. I haven't seen one in 2-3 years now. I'll keep you in mind if I run across one though. One question: How do you go about collecting the nest when it's full of inhabitants? The one time they tagged me, I remember it was a bit painful.

 

[Galapoheros]

That was awesome. I have a couple too that I put on a wall(Yellowjacket). I dug them out of the ground in the backyard. It's hard for a camera to capture the colors of the nest that the wasps make with a camera. They can look like a piece of art. That vid led me to watching people get stung in other vids:razz: ha, those were funny! I used to do that. I still do it sometimes when nobody is watching but, I'm not as fast as I used to be. I will dig them up in Winter if they are where they might give me a problem.

 

[Carolina_wolfie]

Yeah, I have uploaded some pics to quite a few Wikipedia articles. I am including more pages which show my pics.

The pic which shows V. mandarinia in a person's hand is mine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_hornet

Four pics which show D. maculata nests are mine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald-faced_hornet

The pic which shows the perennial V. squamosa nest being compared to a one-gallon milk jug is mine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowjacket

Brachygastra mellifica is an awesome species! It is one of my favorites too. This fascinating species is very similar to honeybees in so many ways (including their barbed stingers).

Nice your pic is used by wikipedia!

Yeah mexican honey wasps have to be one of my favorite southern species. They are fascinating, with they way they are swarm founding, they make honey, and their nests are uniquely built

 

[Carolina_wolfie]

I am sorry to hear about your sister's nest deteriorating to the point that she had to toss it into the trash. This could have been prevented. The culprits are most likely carpet/dermestid beetles (which love to eat wasp nests!). If allowed to continue, then these pests will completely destroy a nest collection. So, a person NEEDS to stay on top of this because the beetles will eventually come back. This is why it is ESSENTIAL to do regular maintenance on natural history collections. Here is more information on these museum pests and what to do about them:

http://venomlist.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21703

Anyway...

To answer your question, the best thing to do is to collect the nest when it is cold outside or perhaps you can try smoking the wasps out of their nest.

I hope that you can find more Mexican honey wasp nests in the future. I will be ecstatic if you could possibly send MORE THAN ONE nest to me! I am trying to expand the number of these nests in my collection. For your information, these nests typically occur in citrus orchards. To give yourself better luck in locating these nests, then you should talk with your local citrus growers. You should also contact all of the pest exterminators who are in your area. These suggestions should put you on some great leads!

Please keep me updated. You can contact me through this forum or you can contact me through my email address:

hornetboy1970@yahoo.com

I hope to hear from you soon. I am looking forward to your reply, El Viejo.

I have been looking for them for quite a while now myself. My sister lives in East Texas and has been wanting one for years. I had sent her one about 15 years ago, and I think it deteriorated to the point where she threw it out. I haven't seen one in 2-3 years now. I'll keep you in mind if I run across one though. One question: How do you go about collecting the nest when it's full of inhabitants? The one time they tagged me, I remember it was a bit painful.

 

[Carolina_wolfie]

I would love to see some photos of your nests!

That was awesome. I have a couple too that I put on a wall(Yellowjacket). I dug them out of the ground in the backyard. It's hard for a camera to capture the colors of the nest that the wasps make with a camera. They can look like a piece of art. That vid led me to watching people get stung in other vids:razz: ha, those were funny! I used to do that. I still do it sometimes when nobody is watching but, I'm not as fast as I used to be. I will dig them up in Winter if they are where they might give me a problem.

 

[syndicate]

Awesome video!I'd love to see all these in person.
Hey do you have any extra dead specimens of Vespa mandarinia?
-Chris

 

[Carolina_wolfie]

Yeah, the video does NOT do my monster nests justice! They are a lot more awe-inspiring in person.

Unfortunately, I only have a couple of V. mandarinia specimens in my collection. Nonetheless, I DO know a person in China who might have some extra specimens of this awesome species to spare. His name is John (aka: "vespa_bicolor"). Here is his email address so you can contact him:

vespa_bicolor@yahoo.com.sg

Please tell John that Terry sent you. Thanks!

By the way, may I ask what you are gonna use the specimens for?

Awesome video!I'd love to see all these in person.
Hey do you have any extra dead specimens of Vespa mandarinia?
-Chris

 

[bhoeschcod]

quick tip, when you are out with your pellet gun and see a yellow jacket on the leaf litter , do not shoot it. If you do the ground will erupt wiht flying death and you will wind up hurting for days...if your lucky

another one:always make sure when you catch em there are no holes in the net or if there is more then 1 wasp happened to me im still alive [i did not get stung that time.....]