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06.08.2012 (219/366) Home Sweet Home

Wasps are expert paper makers, capable of turning raw wood into sturdy paper homes. Construction of the wasp nest begins with a suitable support – a window shutter, a tree branch, or a root in the case of subterranean nests. In this case the inside of an outside light! The queen adds her pulp to the support. As the wet cellulose fibers dry, they become a strong paper buttress from which she will suspend her nest. Not sure where all the wasps are today but I took the opportunity to snap a very quick pic! (The chance I've been waiting for since I first fount it) The nest is comprised of hexagonal cells in which the young will develop. The queen protects the brood cells by building a paper envelope, or cover, around them. The nest expands as the colony grows in number, with new generations of workers constructing new cells as needed.

 

 

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Uploaded on August 7, 2012
Taken on August 6, 2012