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Post by Rockoonz on Sept 1, 2013 15:01:05 GMT -5
We have a hillside in our back yard that is all ground cover of various types, lots of herbs, strawberries, and other stuff. on a nice day the hillside is populated with honeybees and butterflies. Elizabeth brought me out to see this wasp today. Never have seen anything similar in the NW. Any ideas? Colorful fellow.    He appeared to be pollinating right alongside the bees, they didn't seem to be bothered with him being there. He is quite a bit larger than the bees.  Lee |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2013 15:39:57 GMT -5
Looks like you have a Great Golden Digger there.  Nice images Lee. Loved the challenge of finding the species. Interesting species that one. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 1, 2013 16:03:30 GMT -5
Check out the Giant Cicada Wasp. All of 2 inches long but not aggressive. Crazy thing digs a hole and lays an egg on a Cicada that it injected with anesthesia. Only to serve as a live meal for it's egg. Thanks for sharing that Lee. Bugs rule  |
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Post by Pat on Sept 1, 2013 16:22:23 GMT -5
I've never seen them in anything except yellow.
That gold one is downright pretty. I cannot believe I'm saying that!!
Though apparently non- aggressive, they look menacing.
Honey bees look downright friendly, and bumble bees and carpenter bees just look dull, though I'm glad they are non-aggressive, too.
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Post by Rockoonz on Sept 1, 2013 16:53:39 GMT -5
No wonder I've never seen one locally, I'm in western WA and the wasp is from eastern WA, must have hitchhiked. With the size of the mass of honey bees that hangs around our herb garden there must be a hive within a mile or so. Sure would like to sample the honey.  Lee |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2013 19:15:00 GMT -5
Rockoonz There is a way to spend a few hours watching bees to find the hive. I dont know it, but perhaps google is your friend? Then at the end of summer the honey is yours! jamesp - google tarantula hawk and have a look at our version of your cicada wasp. Magnificent creature!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 1, 2013 19:23:04 GMT -5
Do you guys do hives to collect honey?
Tarantula hawk=amazing
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2013 20:07:21 GMT -5
Do you guys do hives to collect honey? wife wont let me. anybody else? [smile] |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 1, 2013 20:43:58 GMT -5
ha
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2013 20:52:24 GMT -5
Yeah, when I move to Texas I will begin a lot of sufficiency stuff. Trapping wild bees, planting fruit/nut orchards and asparagus fields.... anything perennial I can harvest to eat.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 1, 2013 21:09:36 GMT -5
The coral rivers are flooded. I am planning 10-12 days to Zapata. I luv that place. Was just discussing the trip. i have permission on a ranch and probably the gravel pit. Come go. Meet me there. Will let it cool say oct dec jan
Where in Texas?
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Post by kap on Sept 1, 2013 22:08:51 GMT -5
(Honey bees look downright friendly, and bumble bees and carpenter bees just look dull, though I'm glad they are non-aggressive, too.)
Pat I can tell you have never bush hogged a bumble bee nest they can get REALLY mad! I hit one a few years ago and had to jump off the tractor running, it went one way and I went the other every time I fell down they would hammer me on the top of my head( and I fell down a lot)! It even hurt to touch my hair! The tractor finally hit a tree and stopped. I made my brother-in-law go back and get it!
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Post by Pat on Sept 1, 2013 22:55:06 GMT -5
kap Pat I can tell you have never bush hogged a bumble bee nestI don't think I've ever seen a bumble bee nest. We get them around in, but they seem to just come alone. You're right! I don't know what "hogged" means unless it means bump into one. Hope never to experience that! Even your hair hurt?  Ouch! 
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Post by Rockoonz on Sept 2, 2013 1:19:30 GMT -5
Sounds like a flay mower, one specifically for mowing brush and vines.
Tried to take out a bumble bee nest under the mother in laws shed once.
I wasn't sucessful first try.
The bumble bees were quite sucessful.
Lee
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2013 2:14:02 GMT -5
We have those digger wasps here on the east side in Oregon, too, and they love my groundcover thyme. Fortunately, they are friendly. I don't recall ever seeing them before planting the thyme lawn several years ago. Thanks for the link Scott – its nice to know they are helping keep down the cricket population.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 2, 2013 7:55:25 GMT -5
Honey bees look downright friendly, and bumble bees and carpenter bees just look dull, though I'm glad they are non-aggressive, too. In my area, the carpenter bees are agressive, they'll fly right at you! Honeybees, well, we need them, so I let them "be." I really do hate it when they leave bee sh!t all over my truck and trailer, though. This is the first year in at least 20 that I have not had a garden, a lot less BS this year. Tarantula wasps. I hate extremely dislike those things, too. I feel sorry for the tarantulas (a terrible way to die!), and I understand they can give a person a pretty good sting. James, I took pics of an orange dragonfly yesterday. Will post pics on a new thread in a little while. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 2, 2013 8:04:49 GMT -5
This is the bush hog that Kevin was talking about. it tends to anger bees. Imagine that. Instead of sharp blades it uses thick steel bar blades that hammer the brush and shatter it to make it die. If you use sharp blades you will get sharp stumps that will puncture the tractor's tires. If you back over and cut you must be careful pulling forward and getting speared by laid over stuff. If you back into a ravine the mower will fold up and you will be in a bad sandwich. I have had 5 neighbors die within 5 miles doing this in 25 years. A dangerous machine. And for really tough guys and road maintenance |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 2, 2013 8:17:44 GMT -5
James, I know exactly what you are talking about. In AL, they used them for clearing the brush back alongside the roads. Brush hog accidetns? Another way I would not care to die.
I think one reason they don't use them here in CA, is because the brush is so dry. The metal would be hitting rocks, and sparking all kinds of fires. A lot of fires are started by people clearing brush with hand equipment.
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Post by Pat on Sept 2, 2013 9:27:58 GMT -5
OK. Now I know about bush hogging, bee shit, and that all bees are not friendly.
We eat outside in the backyard a lot. Bees wallowing in every nearby flower, ignoring us. However, the wasps persistently come to our table. I persistently shoo them away with my straw hat. So far, I've been lucky.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 2, 2013 14:11:10 GMT -5
Wasps are the nuisance around here Pat. At times Yellow Jackets. The Yellow jackets are a problem in that they can sting repetitively. Wasps sting once-a humdinger at that.
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Ouch! 
