SOS for a queen wasp in England in December (1 Viewer)

Does anyone, please, know what I should do for this queen wasp in my computer room? It's cold in here, but everytime that I switch on the table lamp, she wakes up and sits beside, and tries to settle on, the side of the bulb. I've been putting damson jam with some water on it right by the lamp bulb, and she does seem to feed from it. Should I take her into the lobby for the rest of the winter, where there is another curtain (for hibernating in?) but with no radiator under it and therefore it remains relatively cold and dim? As she wakes up every time that I put on the light, I wonder if she's using up her life ('wearing out' so to speak)?, and that she would use up less life force if she were permanently in a state of hibernation?

Any experts out there with valuable information would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Janiebird

Welcome to Bird Forum Janiebird :hi:

And a HUGE well done for trying to do your best for this queen wasp :t: A lot of folks would have just squished her without a second thought but I've always liked wasps - a very much-maligned insect :-C I find them fascinating!

I'm no expert - sure there'll be some along with better advice soon - but perhaps put some cardboard egg boixes or lightly scrumpled newspaper into a tupperware box/small plastic fish tank etc and put the queen into an unheated but frost-free part of the house or garage/shed? Then she can hibernate properly and in the spring you can take her to your local park or outdoor space (away from nasty swatting humans ) and release her :king:

Good luck with her and well done for being so caring :clap:

Any ideas......anyone? :smoke:

Nor am I an expert but I would certainly get her out the house as I doubt she'll be able to hibernate. I would take her safely to a dead log pile, large logs still with loose bark, an unused bird box with some moss in it, anywhere that will stay undisturbed with safe and cosy crevices. Personally I wouldn't put her in a garage or shed to minimise the temptation to nest there! Go for the garden or a local wooded area. It's supposed to be quite warm on wed/thurs this week so maybe move her then when she may have a little more energy to crawl somewhere safe.

Squash It!


















only joking!!

turkish van said:

Nor am I an expert but I would certainly get her out the house as I doubt she'll be able to hibernate. I would take her safely to a dead log pile, large logs still with loose bark, an unused bird box with some moss in it, anywhere that will stay undisturbed with safe and cosy crevices. Personally I wouldn't put her in a garage or shed to minimise the temptation to nest there! Go for the garden or a local wooded area. It's supposed to be quite warm on wed/thurs this week so maybe move her then when she may have a little more energy to crawl somewhere safe.

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No expert either, but that is exactly what I would have suggested. Amazing beasts Wasps are!

Well done Jane for trying to help your wasp, most people wouldn't bother, I've had a nest in my wall cavity this year and my wife wasn't too happy with it next to the bathroom but I said just let them get on with it, there's been absolutely no problem, live and let live I say.

Had a similar dilemma a few weeks back when I found a hibernating wasp behind my dartboard in the garage. Tried to move her into a darkened container but she awoke and after a couple of days hadn't settled again. Luckily (like the forecast for this week) it co-incided with a mild spell so I put the container outside and after a while she flew off, hopefully to find another place to hibernate before the cold came again.
So I'm in full agreement with TurkishVan, I'd let her go while the goings good and let nature take it's course.

Cheers

Alan M