Found these paper wasps building their nest on a painted brick post:
Paper wasp nest with eggs
That’s a new nest with eggs a-cooking!
They were minding their own business, but they’re in a very public area and won’t last long…
This is a dot-for-dot crop from a larger image, with just a touch of unsharp mask to bring out their hazard warning stripes.
#1 by Red County Pete on 15-September-2012 - 12:21
Ah, paper wasps–the main reason I own an Epipen. Territorial buggers, and fond of putting nests in awkward (for me) spots. (Like the kindling barrel, which I had to move indoors.) I like bees, but paper wasps get the spray treatment before they get me.
#2 by Ed on 15-September-2012 - 18:02
Mary totes one of those around in her bike pack. Hasn’t had to use it yet, but she’s definitely become more sensitive to wasp stings over the years and swells something awful after the slightest encounter.
We enforce a scorched earth policy toward them, too…