Polistes Carolina

TheTanSedan · Jul 14, 2006

Any of you other southeners overrun by Polistes Carolina this year, the Red Paper Wasp?

http://home.att.net/~larvalbugbio/beast/archbeast3-05.html

For the most part I try to leave them alone (benefits outweigh sting potential), but, whoa, I've gottem everwhar this year! Can't walk in front or back or side door without an "escort".

Just let one out of house that must've snuck in earlier.

UncleS2 · Jul 14, 2006

No more than usual, that I've noticed. Of course we always seem to have plenty of 'em. Red paper wasps, black dirt dobbers, always a few yellow jackets, the odd giant hornet, horse flies, ticks, chiggers, and this year *FLEAS*! All those little pests, plus 100*F heat & high humidity too.

Isn't summertime in Texas wonderful?

Oldmoparguy1 · Jul 14, 2006

Haven't had any flea problems, but we got all the others. Got stung on my nose last week while moving one of my parts cars. Found the nest behind the gas fill door. Gave them a shot of WD-40.

UncleS2 · Jul 14, 2006

"Gave them a shot of WD-40. " That'll show 'em!

Back in the old days, we used to wipe out red wasp nests with a carefully tossed coffee can full of gasoline.

(contact with the tiniest droplet of gasoline seems to kill them instantly) It was amazing to watch dozens(or even hundreds) of them drop to the ground all at once. Took a little skill for a good job, though- & you had to get *close*.

These days I just use the long-range spray cans of wasp killer like everyone else. Lots less risky & dangerous, & gives extra distance too.

JHZR2 · Jul 14, 2006

I saw my first as Im down in Alabama for work.... it scard me to see a red wasp.

Then again, I was terrorized as a child, as I was stung in the forehead (on my 10th birthday no less) by a big, black, baldfaced wasp:

Image from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

And due to the fact that we used to have cicada killer wasp nests in our side yard year after year:

Photo from "featured creatures" at the Universty of Florida... This photo is fullsize, and it doesnt do justice to just how LARGE those things are!

JMH

TheTanSedan · Jul 15, 2006

Yeah, on a slow quiet day those things are like (and sound like) B-25's as they zig-zag over the lawn. Got stung by one once.

Don't let it happen to you.

JHZR2 · Jul 15, 2006

that was always my biggest fear... so big and flying like they dont have a care. I was sure some day Id re-live my hornet incident habd have one fly right into me and sting me in the forehead!

How bad was the sting compared to other bees/wasps/hornets/yelowjackets? Based upon size, Id say worse than all... based upon the fact thatthey kill cicadas (the worst thing is when one of these behemoths falls down right in front of you with a fighting cicada in its grasps), Id think they have a strong sting, but size isnt always the best metric for how painful ittl be.

JMH

Win · Jul 15, 2006

quote:

Originally posted by JHZR2:
that was always my biggest fear... so big and flying like they dont have a care. I was sure some day Id re-live my hornet incident habd have one fly right into me and sting me in the forehead!
JMH

One sting on the forehead? Wait until you get a Yellowjacket or Red Wasp caught in your hair, or under your clothing!

Back on topic, up here, the Wasp population is about average. I can't recall the last time I even saw a Giant Hornet. I would sure hate to have been nailed by one of those as a kid.

JHZR2 · Jul 15, 2006

Ive had yellowjackets in my shirt. Ive been stung by bees, wasps and whatnot, many times in fact.

Nothing has been worse than the shock of a hornet sting to the center of the forehead early in the morning... for me at least.

anyway, yeah, around here there are far more honeybees and what not than red wasps. The red wasps are actually relatively rare as compared to other varieties.

JMH

kc8adu · Jul 16, 2006

wait till you fire up a project car and find you have been about 2 feet from a disturbed nest the last 5 minutes!
they hung a nest under the dashpad overhang over the speedo on my 70 elcamino that right now has no door gaskets.they were hanging on to the nest with their hind legs and buzzing.like wasp "power braking"
dont know how i avoided getting stung.
probably disoriented from the motion.

TheTanSedan · Jul 16, 2006

The sting was sharp, then dull. Area was similar to cutting a 1/4" slice off the edge of a baseball
(my arm, as a 13 or 14 year old).

The worst was looking at it as it happened . . true bug monster movie stuff.

Polistes Carolina

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