Fallen Hive

I was reading somewhere that winter will be harsh if the wasps build their nests high in the trees. I thought about it and I had never seen a nest up in a tree...hmmm and we have had more than several harsh winters here. I know they must build them in them.. I have seen nests people collect and they are attached to large branches, but the only ones I had seen were hooked to things like the under the eaves of the house, under the gas tank lid or up in the corner of the bulkhead door.

Well, I was chatting with a friend and she mentioned what I had recently read, about the wasps and confirmed what I had read in the farmer's almanac, that we are in for a harsh winter--lo and behold...what did Adrienne and I see in a tree out back, high in a tree--a hive! We wanted the hive and tried to get Jim to bring it down for us--he tried his hardest with no success! A few days later we were having high winds and what fell to the ground--our hive!

Adrienne and I did some dissecting and investigated the structure of this little menaces home that we constantly swat away from our house in the warm weather! the owners of the home were no longer alive, the only survivor in the home was not a member of the family--not nearly as threatening anyway! Here is what and who we found: