Nest revisited

C. Davis photos

Toni Lucas

Connie Robinson of Pincher Creek invited us up to have a personal look at the nest that is in her back yard. (see our recent story "Huge insect nest found in Pincher Creek")  "I do have a large fake (wasp nest) one in the yard," she said, pointing to a plastic replica hanging in one of the corners of her garden.  "They are supposed to keep other ones (wasps) from building in the area, but it doesn't seem to have worked this year."  Connie wonders if anyone in town has seen a bigger nest than this one. When asked what she planned to do about the nest and inhabitants, she shrugged. "Live and let live.  I have not been stung this year at all, and they seem very calm.  I am all over my garden, and I rarely even see any of them."

A little investigation may change her mind.
The black and white colouration of the insects lead me to believe that these are a species called bald-faced hornets.  These hornets have no pollen sacks, eat insects mainly, as well as tree sap, wood pulp, and are occasionally  known to scavenge raw meat. Their nests can reach a length of three feet.

Normally more aggressive than yellowjackets, they are capable of stinging repeatedly and are highly defensive of their nests.  A fine thing to find out after I volunteered to stand near the nest to provide a sense of scale.

Robinson was part of the Crestview Lodge float in the Pincher Creek parade as one of the "Creampuffs" .  This float won "Best Overall" in judging.

Crestview Lodge's winning float
Best Overall, Pincher Creek Parade 2011