Ants “invade” our homes not out of malice but as a survival instinct, the same one we have that propels us to find shelter, cook food, and stay warm, dry and well-hydrated. An ant doesn’t know about our private property conventions. For them, this is an alien invention, a conventional label.
Wasps fly around our homes frightening us with their potential to sting generally because they themselves are looking for a home, a place to build a nest.
As humans populate and build their settlements on an increasing percent of the earth, less space is left for other species to create their homes and live. What does that mean for biodiversity?
Mud daubers or mud wasps
While they may look aggressive or intimidating, mud dauber wasps are not dangerous. They’re relatively gentle and unlikely to sting. Even when disturbed, mud daubers are not aggressive and rarely sting humans in response, although you may get stung if you attempt to handle one.1
The more common black-and-yellow mud dauber’s nests are more like mud condominiums with several cells built closely together, then mudded over for a consistent plaster look. These can be found under eaves, in corners of buildings, places that remain dry, so the condo is kept intact. Again, the blue mud dauber will fill her nests with spiders in stolen cells originally built by the black-and-yellow mud dauber and possibly the Asian mud dauber. Her favorite spiders to add to her mud queue are western widow and comb-footed spiders. She knows exactly how to lure them from their web or simply pluck them straight out.2
Unlike social wasps, these large insects are solitary. They come in many colours and sizes but many are black or black and orange. The female alone builds its nest of mud or clay, which looks a little like a swallow’s nest with a narrow neck. She emits a high-pitched buzz while working the nest, which helps to distribute the mud evenly. She will often attach it to a tree trunk or a building, wherever it finds shelter from the weather.3