Ridiculous Things

17th May, 2016 

Wasp Central

The smaller nest

We've been ignoring the back verandah for the last few months. It's a sun trap, and incredibly hot during summer, and summer has stretched well into autumn with no end in sight. The result is a thoroughly disgraceful collection of dead pot plants and an infestation of paper wasps. 

I discovered the wasp colony quite by accident, rushing to get a cotton blanket off the clothes line before the rain. I must have disturbed a very important wasp meeting: I was swarmed, and bitten. Or stung. Or...whatever it was, it was bloody painful. It seems I'm allergic. 

Dave from next door located a small wasp nest in a shrub, and another in a plant pot on the fence. He marinated them well in wasp-killing spray. They died. There were still a few wasps around though...

The nasty nest

Fast forward to two days ago. We were having a little soiree on the front lawn, under our glorious poinciana tree. 20 senior citizens and me. I was cooking, and Mum decided to get the chairs from the back verandah to take out to the front. 

They swarmed her, attacking her unprotected left ankle. She threw the chairs she was carrying, dislodging a lovely little wasp condominium. Mum's also allergic, so we dosed her with antihistamine, steroid cream and an icepack. Dave has since drenched the wasp condo in vicious wasp killing liquid. 

The underside of the nasty nest

There seems to be only 3-4 wasps left alive on our back verandah now. I wonder where they're living...and if we'll ever be brave enough to sit out in the winter sunshine - if winter ever happens - and chat with the neighbours.