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Neotropical social wasp

Polistes major

Photo by Carolina
Published on Project Noah
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4.81428, -75.6946

Field Notes

Description:

Polistes major is a species of paper wasp.

Notes:

These wasps are in my room balcony, really hidden. I had to tell my brother to hold my body so I won't fall to the abyss and take the picture. My dad has tried to eradicate them for three times now, but it seems they don't care and always came and produce their nest again. So I told him I don't care living with them, I don't bother them and they don't hurt me, so I think we can share space.

Reference Links:

EOL: Polistes major

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (24)
Carolina
Gracias Juan! Voy actualizar ya :)
Juan DiTrani
Que tal Carolina, opino que si son Polistes. También es bien probable que sean P. major, que es común en mesoamerica y ha sido reportada para Colombia http://eol.org/pages/240138/overview
Carolina
Do you guys think, these can be one of my wasps? http://bugguide.net/node/view/202445 http://bugguide.net/node/view/203264
Elsa
Very cool, they almost look like little robots!
Ava T-B
My bee guy came and used a little smoke, cut down the nest and took it home where he relocates them around his garden. Before he left though, he sprayed where the nest had been with peppermint oil to hide the wasp's scent so they wouldn't start building another nest there. It seems to have worked. Also, the wasps never bothered us even though they were building a big nest just above our door, (see my spottings for a picture of the wasp nest) but when my brother-in-law moved in with us, they kept landing on him and coming into the house on his shoulder. My bee guy said it was because he was musky, which he is.
p.young713
I am always being bitten by bees etc..Never been bit by a Wasp that I can recall.
Ashish
Welcome..!! This wasp bitten me 2 times in my childhood. But pain was not much. No other insect bite me other than Mosquitoes.
Ashish
Great work... a real learning lesson for me..!!
p.young713
Your Welcome! Be careful, they do sting!
Carolina
I will read that link, thank you! I can't relocate them, if I knock the nest down it would fall to the abyss, I live in a building. I'll try something tonight, let's see how it goes.
p.young713
I think it may kill some of them, but I looked on the Internet for Green type products and found http://eartheasy.com/live_natwasp_control.htm If it were me, I would knock the nest down at night and relocate it , but they may bite or come back, I love bees and Wasps too! But I'm not sure what I would do if they are on the balcony, they are useful to nature. I think would move them at night, while they are all in the nest asleep.
Carolina
They were 3, now they are 12! Well, my city has a weird weather and I think they won't fly away. I'll tell my dad about the smoke, that won't hurt them right?
p.young713
Wow, The nest got bigger! I looked it up on the internet and they do sting, the bee people in US remove them , I heard with smoke at night? To make them fly away? Some fly away at the end of summer is what Wikipedia states .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasp
Carolina
Okay, I think I have been such a lovely person, but I'm scared now! I've updated this spotting with 2 new pictures I just took.
ClaudiaRamirez
Hola Carolina, Esta foto es hermosa !! deberias posterala para el concurso 2011 Best Wildlife Photo Contest !!
ceherzog
I share your philosophy! Nice pics.
Carolina
Thank you Raiyan! I'm gonna take a look right away!
Raiyan Ahmed
Nice photograph!! Looks like the large yellow paper wasps. Subfamily Polistinae.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
WILD Cities: Urban Biodiversity

Tags

Photographed
PublishedMay 6, 2011

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