Wasp

[Mad Aussie]

Went out to do something in the yeard this afternoon and found this nest on the fence rail ...



For these wasps ... this nest is huge! They are usually about 1/4 of that size.
The wasps themselves are about 17-18mm (3/4 inch) long I guess. They are fairly docile unless you actually brush up against them.

[AntZ]

Cool shot.
Could you do a macro please?
The may be docile, but if you do set them off you will know about it.

[Mad Aussie]

I was only about 400mm (1' 4") from them as it was. Don't worry ... I had the garage back door open and even though it was the other side of the house I was ready to take a bolt for it

[casil403]

Cool shot although my first reaction is ! When you do macro, get the vacuum cleaner ready too.
One night me and my father were sitting on the deck back home and noticed a wasp nest in the overhang of the roof. We waited until dusk when they were all heading back in their nest and he rigged up the Filter Queen vaccum cleaner to a telescopic pole and stuck it right by the entrance to the nest. As we were sitting there on the deck, drinking beer, with the sun going down, every time a wasp was heading in to the nest for the night, he'd flip the "On" switch to the vacuum and suck the wasp right up into the vacuum....was pretty funny to watch...I stopped counting at about 175 wasps. I don't know how he got them out of the cleaner?

It isn't shooting gophers or anything like that, like JJ wants to do, but it was a fun evening with my Dad...your nest reminded me of that...thanks

[Mad Aussie]

It isn't shooting gophers or anything like that, like JJ wants to do, but it was a fun evening with my Dad...your nest reminded me of that...thanks

My pleasure.
JJ doesn't like the tastes of wasps ... hence the gopher shooting

We usually roll up some newspaper and set the end alight and then quickly shove it under the nest. The heat from the flames burns their wings right off very quickly. It can leaves smoke damage though and I didn't want to do that to the fence but they had to go ... it was a nasty accident waiting to happen as Leanne went out to hang washing or something. So it was out with the fast knock-down insect spray ... cleaned them up quickly ... only two got free to attack me but I got them in the air
We've had another nest at the front of the house for months now but it's the usual size and they aren't bothering anyone or a real threat. I knocked it down yesterday as they've finished with it and moved on now.