Ground Wasps -- The Golden Digger Wasp

[DaTT]

So, I work as a land surveyor and today when i set up my instrument, I noticed that I had set up right in the middle of many nests of these guys . I decided to stay because I was too lazy to set up another control.

At least they are not aggressive, but man, they are huge!

 

[AstroManLuca]

grasshopper = pwnt

 

[SZLiao214]

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
grasshopper = pwnt

I agree

 

[marvdmartian]

Gnarly coloring!

 

[DaTT]

Originally posted by: marvdmartian
Gnarly coloring!

indeed

 

[HomerSapien]

Holy crap, this solved one of my recent mysteries.

One of those monsters flew in my garage at night a few weeks ago. I nearly peed in my pants when it flew straight at me. I grabbed a tiny broom and started swinging. I ended up winning the battle, but once you swing at it once or twice, they are very gentle.

 

[sao123]

they dont sting you?

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: sao123
they dont sting you?

solitary wasps tend to be docile unless seriously provoked.

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

Originally posted by: sao123
they dont sting you?

solitary wasps tend to be docile unless seriously provoked.

Just like an ATer

 

[91TTZ]

That looks like a cicada killer.

 

[BoomerD]

Gives me the shudders...(allergic like a mofo to bee stings) We have wasps here that resemble yellow jackets, but are vegetarian instead of meat eaters. NASTY-AGGRESSIVE sons-of bitches...Thank gawd for the long-reach wasp spray.

We also have "ground bees" that are doscile and never sting, no matter what you do. I had a dirt pile in my back yard that resembled swiss cheese from all the nesting holes in it, yet when I tore into the pile with a shovel to spread it, they flew around, but never stung. (when we first moved here, I didn't know what they were, and I was ready to nuke them from outer space, (it IS really the only way to be sure) but the local ag pest inspector asked me not to kill them. Apparently they're beneficial to the crops, eat other insects, and are non-aggressive.)

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: DaTT
So, I work as a land surveyor and today when i set up my instrument, I noticed that I had set up right in the middle of many nests of these guys . I decided to stay because I was too lazy to set up another control.

At least they are not aggressive, but man, they are huge!

AHHH THANK YOU!

There's a hole in the concrete by my front door and I saw this HUGE wasp pulling two moths or cicadas or something that were THREE TIMES the size it was. Gave me the willies! Glad you posted this, I've been wondering what the heck that thing was! :Q

 

[imported_Imp]

Don't mess with their nests. I was learning to survey when I got raped by a swarm. My team was finishing up a top map when the gal at the instrument wanted to shoot one more. Being the pole dude, I walked into the bushes and got covered in them. Glad it was raining that morning so I had a jacket on. Mofos still got me on the right ear, and one died after going for my scalp.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: sao123
they dont sting you?

i smack the hell out of anything with a stinger with anything i have handy. sometimes my bare hands, whatever, i just swing like a spastic 3rd grader.

i remember when i was 4 or 5 and the family was having lunch at the park. a yellow-jacket landed on the table and dad smashed him between his hands....i was in awe.

 

[JF060392]

thats nothing. we have cicada killers and wolf spiders where i live, among many snakes.

 

[RESmonkey]

Nuke em from space. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[DaTT]

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

Originally posted by: sao123
they dont sting you?

solitary wasps tend to be docile unless seriously provoked.

Its true, they generally won't sting....but that doesn't mean I wasn't paying close attention to there whereabouts at all times. That stinger looks very painful.

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: DaTT

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

Originally posted by: sao123
they dont sting you?

solitary wasps tend to be docile unless seriously provoked.

Its true, they generally won't sting....but that doesn't mean I wasn't paying close attention to there whereabouts at all times. That stinger looks very painful.

Indeed.

we have lots of mud daubers here and they never sting me. They land on me when I am sitting outback and I just shake them off. I would never try that with those little yellow jackets.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
That looks like a cicada killer.

It does NOT.

Cicada killers are about the size of hornets with a much larger abdomen and very little separation between the thorax/abdomen. Wasps are amazing in how they have very specific prey to feed their young.

I can only guess this wasp is specific to grasshoppers.

<---NOT an entomologist

 

[CptCrunch]

jesus, that thing is scary looking

 

[xanis]

Dear Lord I hate bees.

 

[BoomerD]

Hey OP, a while back, you posted some pics of a road that had washed out...got any updates on that one?

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: Xanis
Dear Lord I hate bees.

As am I. I'm quite phobic. Been stung 7 times in 5 incidents, and each one I can recall very specifically. The first was on my 2nd birthday :Q (yes, I do remember it!). Explains why I'm phobic! Luckily I'm not allergic.

Anyway, I was at a friend's house the other day and these things were flying around the pool... I was terrified. So much so that I was unable to walk to the side of the pool to pose with some people for a picture. I just couldn't bring myself to get within 15 feet of these monsters even though everyone else was over there and assuring me they're not aggressive.

 

[Baked]

Liar, nobody remembers things from when they're 2 year old. Your parents telling you lies doesn't make it truth.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: Baked
Liar, nobody remembers things from when they're 2 year old. Your parents telling you lies doesn't make it truth.

I have a memory from when I was two.

I remember laying in a hospital crib seething at my parents for having lied to me when they said they wouldn't leave me in the hospital.