35 replies to this topic

[Skwiggledork]

 

up to 21, with a lot of capped cells and one semi open cell that looks like a fully grown wasp in it.

[ponerinecat]

Their pretty small considering the season.

[Skwiggledork]

My problems at the beginning probably put them at a disadvantage and I've read captive colonies don't get as large as wild colonies. *shrug*

I probably need to give them more heat to really get them growing. I don't know.

[ponerinecat]

If you try again next year, I heard paper wasps can have multiple queens. That would boost colony growth. And maybe more variety in protein?

 

Also, I'm seeing some new queens and males flying around. You could get another queen right now.

Edited by ponerinecat, August 16 2019 - 8:40 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

I'm going to try again when I see some new queens out and about.

[ForestDragon]

I have never heard much of keeping wasps and I do not really know how but I would love to try it (fully contained if possible my parents are allergic) and if i can't i won't cuz i don't want to put my parents at risk from many wasps

[Skwiggledork]

Mine stay contained, but I wouldn't risk it with allergic people in the house. I had two try and make a run for it while I was doing some maintenance. Luckily I was prepared and caught them before they got too far.

[mbullock42086]

exclamans is pretty docile (despite claims of them being one of the more defensive paper wasps)  I had a nest on my porch and they had zero fear of me.  i could slam the door below them and it did nothing.  i even offered them food with my fingers by jamming wax worms right into their faces and they gently accepted them. felt weird- like i was considered one of their workers or something.  

[TennesseeAnts]

Vespa crabro are releasing queens and drones now. I got what I believe to be a queen, but she's not very active.

[Apex]

Vespa crabro are releasing queens and drones now. I got what I believe to be a queen, but she's not very active.

Would you be willing to sell any?

Edited by Apex, August 24 2019 - 7:21 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

If I can find some.

[Apex]

If I can find some.

Dm me

[Skwiggledork]

So I've had a population explosion. If I counted right I am up to over 30 wasps. A lot are males, so they are spreading out away from the nest with a few females, possibly new queens. I'm not sure. I don't know if they will mate in captivity either. I can still get in and change out their food/water, but I've got an air plant in there I don't dare spray, because about 8 of them just hang out on it all day every day.

Pretty sure I'm not doing this again. It's not a bad idea and it was a great experience, but I can't keep track of this many animals that can escape when I am doing cage maintenance. I've accidentally crushed one that was poking it's head out while I was closing it up and I've had one escape attempt where 3 wasps got out and luckily I had a few catch cups around and they didn't get far.

[Skwiggledork]

[ponerinecat]

nice nest

[mbullock42086]

its because they need more food, the larvae eat waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than ant larvae do.


gotta basically just get a big dish and fill it with mealworms or waxworms


 some species of paper wasps make larger nests than others- the largest I've seen so far is Polistes apachus, which can be found in orange county