Wasp

Here at the Boggy Thicket, it’s the big time of the year to watch little red wasps hauling great big spiders.  A check of wildlife sites for Southeast Texas mentions Dirt Daubers and something called the Tarantula Wasp, although I suspect that they may be referring to the same critter.

In any case, they are not dangerous – unless you’re a spider – and they don’t kill the spiders.  Their sting paralyzes the spider, which they then stuff into their nest to feed their young in a few weeks.  A dead spider would spoil, but a paralyzed spider provides a fresh source food once the wasp eggs hatch.

Their favorite nesting spot is a weep hole built into the brick walls of the house, but they will also drag their heavy catch all the way to the top of the wall to nests inside the eaves.  They will haul the spider vertically and horizontally for what seems like hours searching for just the right spot.  If they fall, or drop the heavy spider, they just start all over again.

I enjoy watching them dragging their prey across the yard and up the walls, but Honey can’t stand them.  The wasps, on the other hand, find her very attractive – she can hardly go outside this time of year without one buzzing around her head.

I did not film the video, but it gives you a good idea of the amount of challenges these wasps overcome.