# How to hand feed your wasp.



## Omnius (Mar 20, 2006)

Why would anyone want to hand feed a wasp? Well the answer is simple, it is fun to have some interaction with them and it habituates them to your smell and may facilitate acceptance into the "collective"

Here is how to go about it.

Phase 1: Find a wasp that is calm and relaxed, trying to do this with an excited wasp is just asking for it.








This wasp is calm and relaxed, an ideal canidate for hand feeding.

Phase 2: Put the honey on the area of your finger where you want the wasp to feed, you dont need much, after all they dont like walking in honey and having sticky feet,.









Phase 3: Make sure the wasp wants to interact in this manner by slowly approaching the wasp from below, never above as they see this as a predatory action, and gently move towards the anntena. If the wasp is not interested she will move away calmly, do not follow.









This wasp did not want to interact, ALWAYS leave the wasp a way out when appoaching them so they do not feel trapped, notice she is still calm and relaxed, she is not stressed or angry in any way, she just wants peace and quiet.

Phase 4: Profit.

After you find a wasp that is willing to accept interaction enjoy the quality time you and your wasp spend together. Feeding takes about two seconds to five minutes. Just stay calm and relax. Sometimes another wasp may want to join in the festivities, do not be alarmed, since the wasp initiated that contact the chance of getting stung is slim to none.















Phase 5: ???? Be sure to watch your wasps body language at all times, she will indicate she is full by pacing around your finger and sometimes taking off. Also if she seems determind to just sit there and preen, let her. If after a time she STILL is sitting on your finger, slowly and gently move your finger, wasp first to an object she can climb up on. Gently brush her against this object and they take the hint fairly quickly and wander off. If you decide not to do this be advised that your wasp may enjoy sitting on your finger and do nothings for several minutes to an hour or so, as wasps when they are not doing anything just LOVE to sit around and watch the world go by.


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

differant.... do wasps have a queen like a bee?


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## Omnius (Mar 20, 2006)

cueball said:


> differant.... do wasps have a queen like a bee?


Yes, and all the wasps in these pics are the spring queens, and since they have no nesting materials they have no reason to fight and all get along. Infact even in the wild multiple queens will start and raise a nest.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Im such a PUSS!
I would NOT be able to do that.
Bees/wasps are one thing that bug me..ha bug...
But seriously...Ive been stung WAY to many times.
I would like to try that but I would probably freak out and start shaking my hand violently to get it off me.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Our snow is starting to melt but I have yet to see any wasps buzzing about. It's still really cold at night. (Unseasonably cold, lucky effin' me.) But I should get some traps ready so I can get my very own wasp enterprise goin' on, haha.

Why do you have the enclosures upsidedown?


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

I will be videotaping the massacre of a few wasp nest in my shed within the next few days.

That is unless someone wants to come take them out for me.

No offense but F that...i cant chance getting stung...all the piercings and a Tat on my upper spine/neck and I dont like wasps


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## Omnius (Mar 20, 2006)

Mettle said:


> Our snow is starting to melt but I have yet to see any wasps buzzing about. It's still really cold at night. (Unseasonably cold, lucky effin' me.) But I should get some traps ready so I can get my very own wasp enterprise goin' on, haha.
> 
> Why do you have the enclosures upsidedown?


Simple, because they ALWAYS go to the top! If you had the cage "right side up" Guess where they would all be waiting... right next to the opening of the cage, and as soon as you open it BOOM you have several escapees who really dont know what to do once outside the cage LOL

I tested this once, by deliberatly releasing a wasp from its cage and it was NOT happy, it kept trying to get back in, and kept running into things, even walls, they really do settle into cage life very well, that they have a hard time adjusting to a sudden change.



> I will be videotaping the massacre of a few wasp nest in my shed within the next few days.
> 
> That is unless someone wants to come take them out for me.
> 
> No offense but F that...i cant chance getting stung...all the piercings and a Tat on my upper spine/neck and I dont like wasps


Post pics of the wasps in question.... perhaps removal wont be nessessary if they are polistes wasps.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Omnius said:


> Our snow is starting to melt but I have yet to see any wasps buzzing about. It's still really cold at night. (Unseasonably cold, lucky effin' me.) But I should get some traps ready so I can get my very own wasp enterprise goin' on, haha.
> 
> Why do you have the enclosures upsidedown?


Simple, because they ALWAYS go to the top! If you had the cage "right side up" Guess where they would all be waiting... right next to the opening of the cage, and as soon as you open it BOOM you have several escapees who really dont know what to do once outside the cage LOL

I tested this once, by deliberatly releasing a wasp from its cage and it was NOT happy, it kept trying to get back in, and kept running into things, even walls, they really do settle into cage life very well, that they have a hard time adjusting to a sudden change.



> I will be videotaping the massacre of a few wasp nest in my shed within the next few days.
> 
> That is unless someone wants to come take them out for me.
> 
> No offense but F that...i cant chance getting stung...all the piercings and a Tat on my upper spine/neck and I dont like wasps


Post pics of the wasps in question.... perhaps removal wont be nessessary if they are polistes wasps.
[/quote]

They look similar to yours. 
I just moved into a new house and as I was about to un pack my digi cam to snap a shot of my peacock bass I realized the batt. was dead....gotta find the charger!
I know its in one of there 20 boxes in my basement/man dungeon.

Now, why wouldnt I remover them.

Help me make peace with the wasp man! If they are flying I am RUNNING! For example....today I was outside and I know where the nest is from the outside so I smacked the hell outta the corner of the door and jumped about 10 steps back...hmm nothing...maybe being it was nearly 70 the past few days and about 40 today they were dormant or something?
They scare me and I think I will stop saying that b/c I sound like a Puss!

there has to be other guys that run from wasps/bees...arent there?


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## Omnius (Mar 20, 2006)

There are tons of people like you I was one of them when I was a young lad, but I got over it, and it was tough.

Anyway there are several ways to make peace.

1. Identify the species. Wasps in the genus polistes are easy going when it come to activity near the nest. (Hornets and yellow jackets are a WHOLE different ballgame.)
2. Do not touch or breathe on the nest.
3. Keep your distance on very hot and humid days (They are uncomfortable at these times)
4. Banging on the door any any object near the nest is a nonno, after all how would you like someone banging on your house.
5. Wasp can learn, and once they see your no threat they will ignore you. Continue harassing them or trying to kill them and they get more defnsive and chances of getting nailed increase.
6. Nests generally have no more than 10 to 20 wasps, this a small nest and hardly noticable.
7. Dont run about flailing your arms if you get scared when one is flying about, this may startle the other wasps and you could accidentally hit one, resulting in a sting, the best thing is to calmly walk away and come back later when composed.
8. If you got stung somewhere else do not apporach the wasp nest for a day, this gives the alarm chemicles released during the sting time to disapate, if wasps smell this they may mount a defensive responce.
9. Polistes wasps (paper wasps) will not chase you. Or if they do it is really half assed and they give up after a foot.
I hope this helps.

The nest you are seeing are likely from last year, if there are no wasps on them. Again pics will be useful as you will want to remove a yellowjack/hornet nest.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Omnius said:


> There are tons of people like you I was one of them when I was a young lad, but I got over it, and it was tough.
> 
> Anyway there are several ways to make peace.
> 
> ...


Oh no this year. There were about 4 that I saw. 
I think you right...hornets got me a few dam times and yellow jackets as well. Im not educated on them...all I know is they all can sting.
I just get nervous sticking my head in the shed with them around.

Ill take your advice act calm and see what happens.
I had a wasp actually land in my hair when I was about 15 and I didnt know. It was a bit long....surfer kinda days....and when I pushed it out of my eyes and (not to sound gay AK and the rest) I ran my fingers through the rest and Holy sh*t and brownish/red what I think was a wasp was on my hand! No idea how long it was there...i fipped my hands around and it took off and landed on one of my curtains in my bedroom. 
We will see. Ill try to get a pic. they are paper wasps I think though.


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