Ant
Your one and only pest!
Just wanted to share a few pics I took of young queens starting nests this spring. They were taken yesterday, so I might post some new finds I see today.
Here is a Bombus queen (bumble bee) collecting her pollen. Only the ones of her in the air were focused on here though.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0042.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0052.jpg
Here is a young queen Poliste dominula (European paper wasp) starting her first nest. She was a little small for a queen, but that just makes me hope she succeeds more! I will be watching her progress with the other nest.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0372.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0102.jpg
Here is 3 sister wasps that are starting their nest together. P. dominula has an odd behavior to return to the parent nest to "meet up" with he sisters and nest only inches away. Note that they already filled every cell with an egg.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0242.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/033.jpg
Here is a Vespula or Dolichovespula queen I barely managed to take a shot of. I think she is V. germanica.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/072.jpg
And this little butterfly.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/062-1.jpg
Here is a Bombus queen (bumble bee) collecting her pollen. Only the ones of her in the air were focused on here though.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0042.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0052.jpg
Here is a young queen Poliste dominula (European paper wasp) starting her first nest. She was a little small for a queen, but that just makes me hope she succeeds more! I will be watching her progress with the other nest.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0372.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0102.jpg
Here is 3 sister wasps that are starting their nest together. P. dominula has an odd behavior to return to the parent nest to "meet up" with he sisters and nest only inches away. Note that they already filled every cell with an egg.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/0242.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/033.jpg
Here is a Vespula or Dolichovespula queen I barely managed to take a shot of. I think she is V. germanica.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/072.jpg
And this little butterfly.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff291/antcatcher/random macro pics/062-1.jpg