tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post5976110590076361038..comments2024-03-28T06:50:11.258-05:00Comments on Bug Eric: Wasp Wednesday: Four-toothed Mason WaspBug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-74224265747550377462023-08-27T16:09:54.137-05:002023-08-27T16:09:54.137-05:00That is an excellent question! I do not know the a...That is an excellent question! I do not know the answer to that. I know that male mason wasps usually "sleep" singly, by curling their bodies around a stem or twig. I don't know what the females do.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-17209978998499755932023-08-27T16:08:46.575-05:002023-08-27T16:08:46.575-05:00Ouch! I am so sorry you had this unusual and unfor...Ouch! I am so sorry you had this unusual and unfortunate experience! I am having to go through old comments to reply because Blogger and my browser have made comments almost impossible. My apologies.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-1389848146068836302023-08-27T16:07:34.744-05:002023-08-27T16:07:34.744-05:00I have no idea what happened there. Any number of ...I have no idea what happened there. Any number of predators, or even scavengers could have done that. Ants will do that to dead wasps and other insects....Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-74026498488600663822023-08-27T16:06:00.438-05:002023-08-27T16:06:00.438-05:00What you describe is not yellowjacket behavior. I ...What you describe is not yellowjacket behavior. I wonder if it might be wasps in the family Sapygidae, as I have observed behavior like that in *that* family of wasps.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-15077469150518702182023-08-27T16:04:51.849-05:002023-08-27T16:04:51.849-05:00Cool! I do not have the capacity to accept videos,...Cool! I do not have the capacity to accept videos, but I always recommend uploading to YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, or another site, then letting us know the URL for it.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-11748732705454550812023-08-27T16:03:18.008-05:002023-08-27T16:03:18.008-05:00I have never seen a congregation of this species, ...I have never seen a congregation of this species, so I cannot answer that.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-82879023324020554492023-07-14T10:02:38.531-05:002023-07-14T10:02:38.531-05:00Hi. Where do mason wasps go at night once they’ve ...Hi. Where do mason wasps go at night once they’ve sealed their nest?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-35178899596536401412023-06-21T13:02:15.043-05:002023-06-21T13:02:15.043-05:00I just looked up what was using my mason bee hive....I just looked up what was using my mason bee hive. Its one of these. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-13957688596897121432023-01-03T20:39:04.847-06:002023-01-03T20:39:04.847-06:00I took a photo several years ago of a female with ...I took a photo several years ago of a female with two males riding on her back as she visited flowers. I found your article while trying to find more information on this behavior, or just mating behavior in general. No one seems to know about the mating behavior in detail, just what happens after she mates and is prepping the nest. I haven't figured out how to attach that photo, but as soon Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-53346932898720749842022-07-22T10:27:47.209-05:002022-07-22T10:27:47.209-05:00One of these has made a nest in the leg of a porch...One of these has made a nest in the leg of a porch chair i sit in all day. I am trying to be tolerant even though she flys very close to me. I am the "bug rescuer" at my job and do not wish to disturb her or her brood. Thanks for reassuring me that she is docile!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-31283985496231492842022-06-27T01:10:43.130-05:002022-06-27T01:10:43.130-05:00I just got stung by one while I was asleep. I Goog...I just got stung by one while I was asleep. I Google searched it with a photo and was lead to this article. Great information about them. I'd never heard of them before. Unfortunately, this lady wasp didn't survive, as I woke up and slapped my leg in the dark when the pain hit. Not sure how she got in my bed? I just hope it's sting isn't as long lasting as a red wasp.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-36410334445276071562022-05-18T10:31:42.199-05:002022-05-18T10:31:42.199-05:00I would need to see actual specimens to make an ac...I would need to see actual specimens to make an accurate identification. In any event, they are unlikely to make a negative impact on your garden, but simply keep the ecosystem balanced.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-77121871491565533532022-05-07T17:51:39.269-05:002022-05-07T17:51:39.269-05:00I live in NE Texas and when I went out to feed my ...I live in NE Texas and when I went out to feed my goats yesterday I saw dozens of these wasps flying all over the place. I had to catch one to get a close look and sure enough...I am certain it is the mason wasp. Like I said...there are dozens of them, both male and female all over the place. I do have a lot of carpenter bees every year but have never seen these in force liķe this. Is it Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-79065355591438843852021-07-27T18:19:25.727-05:002021-07-27T18:19:25.727-05:00Corrected, thank you for bringing the error to my ...Corrected, thank you for bringing the error to my attention. The wasps have been known to evict mason BEES from their nests. Presumably carpenter bees are too powerful to forcibly evict.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-70118961312829004092021-07-27T17:03:27.354-05:002021-07-27T17:03:27.354-05:00I have one of these that has killed off my 5 plus ...I have one of these that has killed off my 5 plus years Carpenter bee family that called my back porch home. I'm confused about this creature. In the beginning of your explanation you say <br />"The common name of Monobia quadridens is somewhat puzzling, and I am not at all certain that it is “official.” It has also been called the “Carpenter Wasp,” and simply “mason wasp.”<br />Then a Nicole Hallnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-22700906851973967292020-08-08T23:37:29.201-05:002020-08-08T23:37:29.201-05:00Shoot, I only approve comments about once per week...Shoot, I only approve comments about once per week. Hope you haven't done anything because you don't need to. If you have been using the swing all this time and have not had any issue, then you won't have any in the future. The female wasps are solitary and so busy with nesting they have no interest in you. Your chances of getting stung are pretty much zero. Social wasps like Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-26448851679458045282020-08-02T15:17:50.497-05:002020-08-02T15:17:50.497-05:00I have a wooden swing with carpenter bee holes/tun...I have a wooden swing with carpenter bee holes/tunnels. Yesterday, I noticed that the holes are filled with mud. Today I realized the mud is from 4-toothed mud wasps (thanks to your post). BUT, there is a nest under the swing. I must have swung there for an hour and, not realizing they were there at the time, they didn't sting me. My question: I want to use the swing... How do I get the nest JamJarJudyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00688817119608029504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-19069319484343986472020-08-01T13:57:32.130-05:002020-08-01T13:57:32.130-05:00Sounds like a mason wasp female with a nest in the...Sounds like a mason wasp female with a nest in the step, yes. She'll be finished and departing within a week, maybe two, maybe already. I was on vacation so pardon the delay in replying.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-8016890570493635542020-07-25T15:15:09.392-05:002020-07-25T15:15:09.392-05:00I live in Maryland and keep seeing a single black ...I live in Maryland and keep seeing a single black and white wasp that comes up to me while I’m sitting in the wood steps outside. The wasp obviously wants me to move so I move away and it disappears under the steps. I didn’t see a nest at first but noticed it’s going into a hole in the wood step. It stays there for a second then comes out and flys away. Is this a mason wasp? Is there a nest in CPMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09057533767046394039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-27371298045903451512020-07-18T10:11:52.059-05:002020-07-18T10:11:52.059-05:00Ok! It was just such a strange thing, keep up the ...Ok! It was just such a strange thing, keep up the great work! Thank you for the response!Silverstormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03889965330609444855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-37596111178024848892020-07-17T20:47:12.970-05:002020-07-17T20:47:12.970-05:00I don't get enough comments to moderate daily,...I don't get enough comments to moderate daily, so I do it about once per week....Wasps of all kinds have many predators, so I cannot answer this easily. Also, they die naturally and are then scavenged by other animals.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-79029167851248546032020-07-16T17:07:18.264-05:002020-07-16T17:07:18.264-05:00Maybe my last inquiry was too detailed, or technol...Maybe my last inquiry was too detailed, or technology failed and you never received it. Is this better: Are there any other insects that attack the four-toothed mason wasp?Silverstormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03889965330609444855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-38100763621514786322020-07-14T19:51:14.283-05:002020-07-14T19:51:14.283-05:00Do you know if there is another wasp that would de...Do you know if there is another wasp that would decapitate the Mason Wasp? There is one on our patio where this clearly happened... pretty clean hit, kinda sad. I have a pic of it because of my curiosity, and I haven't found anything online yet. I've only seen certain wasps decapitating bees.Silverstormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03889965330609444855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-69593610210448622622020-07-11T20:51:50.747-05:002020-07-11T20:51:50.747-05:00Probably males looking for opportunities to mate w...Probably males looking for opportunities to mate with the more scarce females. That would account for the numbers. Thank you for the compliment!Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-13019432759501801682020-07-11T20:49:39.299-05:002020-07-11T20:49:39.299-05:00Males are probably hovering in the vicinity, looki...Males are probably hovering in the vicinity, looking for opportunities to mate with the females. That would explain the numbers. You might spook the females if you get too close to their nest, but your risk of being stung is virtually zero. Oh, the males are likely the aggressive ones, and they have no stingers.Bug Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com