Something a little different! :-) Sorry this is so large but I wanted you to be able to see these black and white wasps. :-) They are called Bald or White Faced Hornets and I found this fancy colored hive in the back of an old truck bed that was standing up on end. hehe :-) Enjoy and "Happy Hump Day" to all!!! :-) ((((hugs)))) ~*~maggie~*~ White-faced hornets live in large colonies of 50 to 2000 individuals. They often build aerial nests on or around human dwellings. Stinging incidents often occur when man accidentally disturbs a nest while engaged in yardwork or house repairs. The white-faced hornet is rare in Europe, but is of great importance in the North American continent. They are a large (>15 mm) black and ivory wasp and not really a hornet at all. White faced hornets take mostly live prey. They prey on many varieties of insects, including the smaller species of yellowjackets. They have a particular affinity for flies, and have been known to dive-bomb small, dark objects such as nailheads or even the moles on people's skin, thinking they were flies. This can be quite unnerving, to have a hornet swoop down on your mole, wart or other dark spot and head-butt it fiercely, but it will quickly figure out that it hasn't found what it's looking for and fly away. IgE-mediated reactions often present as large local reactions with swelling extending from the sting site. They sometimes include anaphylactic reactions with common symptoms such as urticaria, flushing and angioedema as well as more serious respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms . The reactions can be fatal. Reactions can be both of the immediate and/or delayed type. It lives in wooded regions. The nests are constructed of a paper-like material formed from chewed wood. This species constructs almost exclusively gray football-shaped aerial nests attached to trees and buildings (but they may exceen a basketball in diameter or even the nest may grow to be larger by the end of the summer). The nests can often have streaks of colors in them from the different painted woods used in construction. You are very lucky to have the chance to watch a colony of bald-faced hornets (Dolichovespula maculata) at close range. They are fascinating and fun to watch. We in North America are lucky to have the bald-faced hornet native to our continent alone. :-) http://www.cirrusimage.com/Bald-faced_hornet.htm http://sphs.angeltowns.net/A_R_Wehrle/wasps/dmaculata.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldfaced_hornet