Field Digger Wasps

Homemade · Post by **Homemade** » 18 Sep 2010, 23:33

Never noticed these before but I saw a big colony of them yesterday.
They look like standard black and yellow wasps, but with a thinner waist and brown wings. They make solitary nests in the ground. I noticed there were dozens of little "volcanoes" in a border and the wasps were going in and out - apparently they lay one egg and feed the larva with flies.
Don't know if they sting or not but they have been left to carry on doing their thing.

Steve the Gas · Post by **Steve the Gas** » 19 Sep 2010, 06:46

I've seen these but only in the I.O.W. perhaps a more southern species.
They seem to leave people alone too so )t'

LittleBrownFrog · Post by **LittleBrownFrog** » 19 Sep 2010, 08:09

We have these, they seem to like the same patch of garden that our cat favours, but I've never known them sting either cats or people, so like you, we just let them get on with it.

Homemade · Post by **Homemade** » 19 Sep 2010, 11:45

Apparently they are attracted to areas with "manure", presumably because of the availability of flies. These are around a patch of border that was liberally dressed with cow manure.