i was going to try to cut this nest in half to see what a cross section might look like, and then I was going to try to peel it open like an onion. in the end, those both felt too destructive of such a delicate thing, so i contented myself with this little peek inside somebody else’s home. this nest was built with wasp saliva and wood fiber and it hummed all summer long, in an oak overhanging our driveway, as clouds of busy workers clocked in and out.
paper wasp nest from a large oak tree overhanging our driveway
saint paul, minnesota
The stripes of the nest remind me of the striations of color we see in rock walls, like the Grand Canyon. I wonder if it is built in horizontal layers too. Each layer a different source or worker. 8*)
The more I look at it, the more it reminds me of our earth and it’s protective layer of crust around it’s core. Is this nest globe shaped? I have to go google wasp nests! 8*)
I’m back!! I found a wonderful video!! You can see the stripes being created at 3 minutes into the video. It is amazing!! Thank you!! 8*)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHfk1EhECaw
Hi Melissa, That is a wonderful video. Thank you so much for sharing the link! And for all your wonderful comments here on STILL blog. Seeing you in the comment list is a day brightener!
Mary Jo
Thank you!! 8*)
What a remarkable and amazing video to actually see the wasps building their home. We don’t have paper wasps in our area so it was especially informative.