The Backyard Arthropod Project

Don’t make the ladies angry. You won’t like them when they’re angry.

So, we’ve been tearing down an old outbuilding because it was (a) rotting to the point of being unsafe, and (b) kind of in the way. Friday, I was stripping off shingles to take to the dump, and had gotten to the last bit on the edge of the roof. As I was pulling up on the shingles, I suddenly felt this stabbing pain on the back of my hand, and as I was looking down to see what it was, felt another on my other arm, and one on my sholder, and . . . .

Anyway, after beating a dignified retreat[1] and waiting for things to settle down, I went back with the camera to see what I had uncovered:

Continue reading ‘European Paper Wasps’ »

After a long strech of arachnids here, I think it’s time to get back to insects. This one we found on the kitchen window. She’s evidently a common yellowjacket, Vespula vulgaris

Given the time of year, she’s certainly a queen yellowjacket that was looking for someplace to establish a nest. I quieted her down for photography by putting her in the refrigerator for a bit, she then sat still for several minutes until she warmed back up again. Just for grins, here’s a closeup of her head:

Continue reading ‘Yellowjacket’ »