Wednesday 16 May 2012

All alone


I was once the only person on a package holiday to Iceland and I guess that this wasp must be feeling rather the same way. It had the trap to itself after another chilly night. One of the only headlines this morning to vie in popularity with all the stuff about Rebekah Brooks is on the snow which has fallen in the northern Pennines. Pity the darling buds of May.

Wasps are very beautifully patterned. They got to the hazchem/health warning colour combination of yellow and black first. They suffer terribly for their reputation as stingers, but they will never attack a human being deliberately and for all but those with medical conditions, the sting is no big deal anyway. They also build the most beautiful nests from which architects have taken inspiration and even learned technical lessons. I saw this one politely and safely on its way.


3 comments:

Banished To A Pompous Land said...

It took me 6 years away from the UK and a return on holiday in 2010 to remind me how evil UK wasps really are.
I dont think twice about them over here as the vespula and many many other species they seem to persue their lives and their tremendous architecture with little or no interest in humans. But one day trying to eat lunch outside in July in the shadow of the Forth Bridge brought back what a complete and utter pain in the bum wasps are back there. Mrs. B didnt beleive me until that day. Now she has no doubts. Rant over, good morning Martin

JRandSue said...

Fantastic little chap,superb Macro Images.
John.

MartinWainwright said...

Hi both!

I used to kill them by the score in an old cider orchard in Herefordshire where they got hopelessly drunk on fermenting apples. I still have images of a squashed mixture of rotten apple and wasp. So maybe my fondness for them now is penitential.

Digital macro is wonderful, isn't, even in my clumsy hands. I keep trying to get closer and closer...

all warm wishes

M