Wednesday, April 12, 2006
First post and a simple intro
Welcome! This first post will give you a rough idea of what this diary is about.
For those who do not already know, I am located in Hong Kong, and observing bees and wasps, especially the social species, is one of my greatest passions. I have had much experience in the previous couple of years relocating nests of wasps in problematic areas (places with high human traffic or where children frequent). This time, I am attempting to raise a colony of Parapolybia nodosa. This is a small wasp (members of this group are commonly called the lesser paper wasps) which builds open nests without a protective envelope, and can reach colony sizes of several hundreds.
The reason I am doing this? Mainly just as an experiment and to see what size a colony can reach under controlled conditions. I choose Parapolybia nodosa for three reasons. Firstly, it is an extremely common species in Hong Kong, so I won't worry about depleting a rarer species. Secondly, this species can be a "pest". This is because it is a very adaptable creature. They like to nest in all the wrong places (playgrounds, schools, fences and gates, ornamental plants). People often get stung when they accidentally disturb a nest. Furthermore, this species is attracted to our food and will attempt to feed on sweet stuff, and also bring meat back to feed its larvae. Lastly, this species is easy to work with. The nest is surprisingly sturdy and easy to transplant. This species is also easy to move without angering the wasps excessively. Furthermore, I can supplement their diet with all kinds of food (other species have to be provided insects if they are to be maintained successfully).
Each spring, I spend much of my free time searching all urban parks and other such places in Hong Kong, looking for nests which might pose a problem when they get bigger. I usually relocate them, either to some deserted countryside or outside my window. Nests are easy to take care of at this time because there are few wasps. In fact, I usually aim to take a nest when there is only a queen and several pupae. As in this case. This time, I tied the nest to a suction hook. I then stuck it onto the side (actually the bottom) of an upturned plastic terrarium, the type sometimes known as "kritter keepers" which are commonly used to house insects, small fish and small reptiles. I reintroduced the queen back as usual. This will be their home for now, but I may relocate them later if the nest outgrows this enclosure.
