[JTh]

We have been  watching a strange gathering of large wasps on a single rose-leaf just in front of our outdoor dining table the last few days, up to ten wasps at the same time, and we have been wondering what they are doing there. I tried to get close to them, but they didn't like it when I lifted a leaf above them to get a better view this morning, so they flew away, but now some of them are back again. There does not seem to be anything on the leaf, but they still seem to be eagerly licking. The leaf above had some small markings that showed that there must  have been some other visitors earlier, maybe aphids? which have secreted some sugary liquid that dropped on the the leaf underneath. I am pretty sure they are paperwasps, Polistes  dominula, the photo is not very good, but the antennas are clearly orange in some other pphotos. Do you have any other more likely explanations for this gathering?

[oron peri]

Jorun

As these Wasps usually do not gather while feeding, i can only guess that their nest has been destroied and they stay as a family untill they build a new one.

[MikeHardman]

If they are like some other wasps, they know where their nest is by landmarks. If the nest is destroyed (or moved) but the landmarks remain, they may return to where the nest used to be. ...Which may be what you are seeing.
Or, as Oron says, they may just be maintaining their social group.

[JTh]

You are probably right, Oron, we had to remove a few nests under the eaves of  the house a few days ago, so they are now prbably  having a family reunion on the rose-leaf while they are deciding who is going to be the leader (queen) and where to go. But they do a lot of licking on that one leaf they have chosen, maybe it's part of their communication system?

[David Bracey]

We find paper wasps nesting under our garden table. They like the dark cover.  I have been stung at least twice moving the table

[JTh]

They are still clinging to that one leaf, it must be for the fifth day, it seem to take longer to decide where to go than it takes to elect a new pope.  The leaf they have selected has now  become very shiny from all their licking/rubbing, maybe the wasps can be trained to polish floors? I found some interesting information about these wasp on the internet, which said that
 'the antennae of common wasps are as sensitive to smell as the nose of drug-sniffing dogs used by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Scientists at the University of Georgia at Tifton have invented a gadget that takes advantage of the wasps ability to sniff out odors such as those emitted by corpses, drugs, bombs or toxins. It's called The Wasp Hound' and further:
'The scientists point out the advantages of insect sniffers over our canine pals: The wasps are small and portable, and the training only takes 5 - 10 minutes. They don't eat much, and nobody gets attached to the darned things. They die after 48 hours, but they just insert a new batch and the device is again ready for action. They claim the wasps can be trained to recognize most chemicals.' (ref. http://www.cirrusimage.com/Bees_wasp_polistes.htm)

[Umbrian]

Just keep your distance Jorun is all I can say. These particular wasps are the ones I most fear as I have a very bad reaction if stung by one of them. Several years ago I ended up at our local hospital to have my wedding ring cut off after disturbing them in a lavender bush I was cutting back. One stung me on my ring finger and within minutes it started to swell alarmingly. I have observed that they leave a "guard" on their inverted umbrella shaped nest and this is the one that gives the alarm and attacks first. I find them everywhere - under chairs as David said, and I try to be cautious at this time of the year when they are most active. Fleur's quite recent advice to always be properly dressed when gardening because of the hazards involved should stand me in good stead in this case but to don long trousers, a shirt with sleeves and gloves in our present temperatures is somewhat daunting.

[MikeHardman]

Some useful advice here - http://insects.about.com/od/insectssociety/a/Control-Paper-Wasps.htm

[JTh]

'Our' paperwasps are surprisingly peaceful and non-aggressive, we have never been stung, so  far, and they mostly leave us alone. I could look at the ones on the rose-leaf staying only a few cms away, and they don't seem to mind at all,  they flew away when I removed a leaf just above them, then they returned a few minutes later.

[helenaviolet]

Thankyou Jorun for your pic of Polistes dominula. They are 'pretty girls' compared to my rusty brown coloured Polistes humilis. However they have one thing in common: I believe they are useful insects in the garden. For that reason I am tolerating one of their nests under the verandah near my kitchen door. I found a great deal of relevant information on the Internet and "Just leave them alone" seems to be the best advice!

My garden does seem to be surprisingly free of pests this year; no holes chewed in leaves etc. Maybe the wasps are helping in this regard ?!   

[JTh]

I never understood why some make so much fuss when they see a wasp; the wasps are usually less annoying than people wawing and screaming just by seeing them.  I agree, if you have a known allergy, I see the problem, but the rest of us could just ignore them. I used to keep bees and I was only stung once, and that was my own fault. Besides that, pain from wasp stings usually disappear much faster than a mosquito bite, at least that's my experience.

[Joanna Savage]

J Th, I doubt that you have been stung by a Tuscan wasp, or an Umbrian one (as Umbrian might say). Maybe it depends on one's own sensitivity, but after having been stung, year after year, the effects do not lessen. Always a weal that stretches about 10 cms across, with painful itching as the lump spreads. Then once the spreading stops the irritation goes back to the centre. It takes about 8 days before I cam sleep peacefully again.

[JTh]

No, I haven't been stung by those two, only in Greece and Norway, and never with such awful reactions.  But in any case, I don't think screaming and waving will keep the wasps away, on the contrary.

[Alice]

I was happily pruning away on one occasion and could hear buzzing in the background, which I thought was bees, until 5-6 wasps stung me en masse. Too late I spotted a wasp's nest very close to where I had been standing. I didn't suffer badly but it was not a nice experience. I agree that solitary wasps are not a big problem but would keep an eye out for any nests near the house or close to frequented pathways.

[Umbrian]

Have to say I am in agreement with Joanna on this one as I react just as she does after being stung as |I described in an earlier posting. The problem with this particular wasp is that it builds its nests in unexpected places as other members have noted, under outdoor tables and chairs for example, and when one gets too near they attack. My worst time is the late ummer/early autumn when they nare still active and I am cutting back things such as lavender. They also like to hide their nests on the central, woody stems and I have been stung on more than one occasion when undertaking this work. Now I try to remember to whack each bush with a stick to see if any are present before starting to trim.
I too hate people who make a big song and dance about wasps and bees in general especially when children are around as they pass on their usually, unwarranted fear, and such exhibitions only invite trouble. I do try to warn visitors about the particular dangers of these little horrors however.