The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Tag: Wildlife

Other creatures in our world

Bee Tunnel Nests: End of Season

Most of the tenants in the bee tunnel nests have departed:

Bee Tunnel Nests – Nov 2026 – small A

I assume the end caps with holes mark successful nests:

Bee Tunnel Nests – Nov 2026 – small B

Some bees overwinter in the nests, so they should emerge from the tunnels with intact end caps:

Bee Tunnel Nests – Nov 2026 – small C

Very few of the larger bamboo tubes met the acceptance criteria:

Bee Tunnel Nests – Nov 2026 – large

Other critters seem to have used the tubes for various purposes, though, so they didn’t go to waste.

I put these up in late April, with the June and July results showing much of the nesting happens shortly thereafter. Next year I should install the tubes in March; there’s no shortage of bamboo up the hill!

2026-11-05
Dog Paw Coaster
Start with a picture of a dog paw:

Dog Paw Coaster – starting picture

Rescale the paw to about 100 mm vertically to properly fit a normal-size glass / tumbler / mug. This may be considerably larger than life, but dog owners always want more dog, so it’ll work.

Generate an outline mask in GIMP:

Dog Paw Coaster – paw mask

Generate another mask for the pads & toenails:

Dog Paw Coaster – pad mask

Convert those into paths, save them as SVG files, and hand them to OpenSCAD:
```
include <BOSL2/std.scad>

/* [Hidden] */

PadThick = 1.2;
BaseThick = 2.0;

RimHeight = 0.4;
RimWidth = 0.8;
RimOffset = 1.0;

Clearance = 0.1;    // embiggen pad recesses

OutlineFN = "Dog Paw - Outline.svg";
PadFN = "Dog Paw - Pads.svg";

union() {


  linear_extrude(h=BaseThick)
    import(OutlineFN);

  color("Green")
    up(BaseThick)
      linear_extrude(h=PadThick)
        difference() {
          import(OutlineFN);
          offset(r=Clearance)
            import(PadFN);
        }

  
}
```
Which will get you a solid model like this:

Dog Paw Coaster – OpenSCAD model

Should you want decorative raised rims around the perimeter and pads:

Dog Paw Coaster – raised rim – OpenSCAD model

Then turn this on:
```
if (false)
  color("Red")
    up(BaseThick + PadThick)
      linear_extrude(h=RimHeight) {
        difference() {
          offset(r=RimOffset + RimWidth)
            import(PadFN);
          offset(r=RimWidth)
            import(PadFN);
        }
        difference() {
          offset(r=-RimOffset)
            import(OutlineFN);
          offset(r=-(RimOffset + RimWidth))
            import(OutlineFN);
        }
      }
```
Run the solid model through PrusaSlicer, send it to the MK4, and, while the printer is buzzing away, run the pads through an online nesting program to see how well that works:

Dog Paw Coaster – Pads nesting – LightBurn layout

While nesting didn’t save much material, it might come in handy for something more intricate and now I’ll be able to find it again.

Then get busy:
- Stick adhesive sheet to the chipboard
- Mirror the pads to cut adhesive side up
- Cut the pads, rescue a toenail from the chip tray
- Import the paw outline SVG
- Offset 0.75 mm inward
- Stick adhesive sheet on the cork
- Cut paw outline (adhesive up, but not mirrored!)
- Peel & stick
Which turned out pretty good:

Dog Paw Coaster – assembled

I used Concentric infill on the top to resemble the fur pattern, but it came out way too subtle.

The owner liked it, though, which made it all worthwhile.
2026-09-17
Yellowjacket Nest

Although I’d sealed the cracks around the front door after the previous Yellowjacket encounter, a cloud of Yellowjackets revealed their queen had set up housekeeping between two plants in front of our house. I donned my beekeeper suit, sprayed the obvious entrances with wasp killer, then repeated the dose over the next several days until, as Khruschev apparently didn’t say, the survivors envied the dead.

The nest was about a foot in diameter, with the top slightly above ground level and bonded into the leaf / mulch layer:

Yellowjacket wasp nest – top overview

It had two active layers below the top (positioned upside-down here):

Yellowjacket wasp nest – side view

The bottom view gives a better idea of its extent:

Yellowjacket wasp nest – bottom overview

I know nothing of wasp nest building, but if they’re similar to honeybees, then the much larger cells in the disk were intended to raise overwintering queens to start new nests next spring:

Yellowjacket wasp nest – new cell structure

The longer capped cells sticking out beyond the others may raise the few drones required to mate with queens from other nests:

Yellowjacket wasp nest – capped cells

That’s a fly over on the left; the scavengers wasted no time getting in there for the (perhaps still poisonous) goodies.

My wasp identification skillz are weak, but this looks like an American Yellowjacket:

Yellowjacket wasp nest – wasp dorsal view

The definitive test requires going face-to-face with a wasp to find the three dots on a German Yellowjacket.

However, all yellowjackets wear yellow-and-black livery and that’s enough ID for me!

2026-09-04
Jumping Spider

If Jumping Spiders like this one were much larger than 5 mm, they’d be terrifying:

Jumping Spider

It appeared atop a trash can and, as with all Jumping Spiders, it’s here or there without being anywhere in between.

I eased the trash bag inside, gently lowered the lid, bade it happy hunting, and we parted on good terms.

2026-08-27
That Itchy Feeling

The stats suggest at least one person had a bad night:

Softsolder stats – bedbugs at night

If that makes you feel itchy, the overview may bring eventual relief, although some better pictures may restart the itch.

Good hunting …

2026-07-27
Bee Tunnel Nests: Emergence

On rare occasions I see a small bee or wasp investigating the bamboo tunnel nests at the windows:

Bee Tunnel Nest – wasp investigating

Several of the tubes filled & sealed in early June have served their purpose:

Bee Tunnel Nest – Small A

Bamboo tubes have a paper-thin liner around the edge, but the mud-sealed tubes have obvious small holes chewed through the end caps:

Bee Tunnel Nest – Small B

My assumption that various insects would pick their favorite tube from the assortment seems to be working:

Bee Tunnel Nest – Small C

The medium and large tubes haven’t seen much traffic:

Bee Tunnel Nest – Medium

We’re glad to help!

2026-07-03
New Wildlife
An inch-long Praying Mantis stood guard on a carton delivered to the front door:

Praying Mantis – early instar

We hope to see many more of its kind.

Two views of a one-turn snail found on a lettuce leaf from the garden:
One-turn Snail – right side
One-turn Snail – left side
Mary has developed a Zero-Tolerance Policy for snails & slugs, so this one must start over again from the bottom of the food chain.

With sparrows excluded, the House Wrens eventually began setting up their second nest of the season, with the male proclaiming both he and his lady’s chosen nest are the best in the land:
House Wren – second nesting – 2026-06-30
House Wren – second nest – 2026-06-30
Wrens are on our Most Favored Critter list!

Previous encounters with their ancestors and relatives:
- Mantis
- Snails
- Wrens
2026-07-01