I'm not proud of this fact, but I am a serial home wrecker. As far as our resident paper wasps are concerned, I am an Aussie Attila the Hun, wreaking havoc on their village then riding off into the distance.
Yesterday, I accidentally wrecked another wasp home. It's not the first time, either. In the 23 years we've been here in Marrickville, I might have temporarily ruined their lifestyle about half a dozen times. The wasps have built their beautifully constructed homes under the eaves of our pergola area, under our outdoor dining table, in our grevillea, amid the leafy clusters of creeping figs and, as I discovered yesterday, in our over-sized murraya hedge.
Here's yesterday's wrecked home, pictured some hours after they abandoned it once my hedge trimmer had done its worst. |
This is the "Before" shot, of the murraya hedge at least two feet too high. It was so high it was blocking the low winter sun reaching our vegie patch, so it had to be trimmed. |
I have nothing against our wasps, either. They're a welcome presence here. The only time they have ever stung me, and it was just the once, was the day I was pruning back our grevillea without knowing that they had a nest in there. They soon let me know I was getting too close!
Our wasps are Australian native paper wasps, and they are beneficial insects in the garden, catching caterpillars to feed to their larvae. Given the terrible way that I manage to blunder in on them, wrecking their homes every couple of years, they are also remarkably peaceful and tolerant creatures.
5 comments:
Ha, I know I am always sending you to read my blog posts, but I have a wasp story that might amuse you. I am much more respectful of them than I used to be. And I am not sympathetic to them at all.
http://nostalgic-nana.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-great-white-huntress.html
We had a nest a few years ago, but I don't see them any more. Hope they have found somewhere in a more peaceful corner of our garden to thrive.
I imagine Pammy might appreciate the view out from her art studio? Or does she prefer the veiled green seclusion?
Diana
You're spot on about Pammy and the studio. She's still tossing up between light and views versus "veiled green seclusion" as you so excellently describe it. I'm not rushing her, but it's a bigger decision than it at first seems...
HI, can we get cuttings from murraya and will they grow as I love them, the perfume is truly fabulous.
Thank you very much for the informative article about Cash For Scrap Cars. Now Consumer know how to pay cash for cars and to to get car in affordable price. We have some informative blogs as well related to Sell Your Car, and cash For Car
Post a Comment