[Clayart] Potter's Wasp

[Bryan Johnson]

A few years ago I made these extrusions to see if they would work as bee
houses. The mud daubers seem to prefer them to hose ends.
I don't know if this link will work.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10218655110784515&set=p.10218655110784515&type=3

Bryan Johnson

On Mon, Mar 20, 2023 at 12:28 PM mel jacobson <melpots at mail.com> wrote:

>  Potter wasp, Eumenes spp. (Vespidae), constructs a nest of clay that
> appears like a tiny vase attached to a twig or other object, provisioned
> with insect larvae (stung, paralyzed caterpillars and beetle larvae). Some
> potter wasp species utilize hollowed twigs, deserted mud wasp nests or
> cavities such as key holes or holes in brick walls of buildings for nesting
> sites. Adults are commonly seen foraging on flowers. Female potter wasps do
> not defend their nests, so nests can be scraped off surfaces and dissected
> to reveal larval or pupal stages and food stores. Wikpda
>
> The problem we have at the farm from potter's wasps and mud daubers is
> that they will pack ends of hose for our kilns.
> we have to dunk the hose ends in hot water, then clear the hole with a
> nail.
> add the hose to our compressor and blow it out.
>
> Most of the plugging of burners is done by spiders that can be fixed fast
> with a simple probe.
>
> Being an old time bee keeper I really hate to destroy or spray bees or
> Wasps. A handy note to
> pass on at a party. "never blow on bees to get rid of them. just be gentle
> and push the bee off
> of you with your finger nail.
>
> David Hendley of Texas collects and fires his wasp homes. As he
> says...:they use my clay to make
> their homes and I fire them and sell them."  Actually I have seen two/tone
> nests. The potter obviously
> uses both stoneware and porcelain clay.
> mel
> website: www.melpots.com
> www.melpots.com/CLAYART.HTML
>
>
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