Help in identifying an insect nest. - Ask Extension
I'd be grateful if you can help me identify an insect nest I found in the pocket screw holes of my weed wacker. All the screw pockets (about a dozen...
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Help in identifying an insect nest. #465980
Asked June 27, 2018, 6:47 PM EDT
I'd be grateful if you can help me identify an insect nest I found in the pocket screw holes of my weed wacker. All the screw pockets (about a dozen of them) were covered over with a thick pure white hard crust and each of the crust had a small hole signifying (to me at least) that the critter had left its abode. I scraped the inside of one pocket and found insect debris. Attached are photos.
Thank you
Thank you
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
That's pretty neat.
We think that these were the individual nests of solitary wasps, which are beneficial and non-aggressive. Normally they would nest singly (but near others) in the ground.
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We think that these were the individual nests of solitary wasps, which are beneficial and non-aggressive. Normally they would nest singly (but near others) in the ground.
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Thank you for the response! I was particularly interested in the white coverings of the nest. It is hard as an egg shell. What may be the composition?
Thank you
Thank you
We can't say for sure since we don't know exactly who made it, but wasps use their saliva and mix it with substances like weathered wood or mud to make their nests, similar to the ones seen here: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/mud-daubers
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Thank you for the information
TR
TR
You're welcome.
