POST Wednesday, September 7, 2022 • Vol. 15 No. 8 • FREE
Amazing Aerial Architecture By Tami Gingrich As the leaves begin to exit the trees, I am surprised to spot a large, grey, pear-shaped, orb nearly two feet high, hanging out over the road. I marvel at the fact that not only have I been driving beneath this impressive structure throughout the summer, but Amish buggies have been slowly passing beneath at all times of the day without incidence of being harassed. This nest belongs to a native species of yellow jacket known as the Bald-faced Hornet. At 3/4 inch in length, it is as impressive in size as it is in looks, sporting a nearly solid black body with a distinctive
white face. But just how did this large nest come to appear right here, hidden behind the leaves? In the spring, a female baldfaced hornet emerges from her overwintering spot, behind a piece of bark or beneath a log. Within her, she carries eggs, fertilized the previous autumn. She has a single mission: To seek out a strategic spot in which to begin her aerial nest. She begins by constructing a small structure containing a dozen or so hexagonal cells, each in which she lays an egg. These eggs will provide the foundation for the entire colony. Upon hatching, she feeds the
Fair Royalty Crowned: Welsh, Bergansky Honored
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University School junior Teddy Welsh and Kenston High School senior Samantha Bergansky and were crowned Jr. Fair King and Queen during coronation festivities Sept. 1 at The Great Geauga County Fair. Welsh is the 16-year-old son of Ed and Sara Welsh, of Gates Mills, and the 17-year-old Bergansky is the daughter of Dennis and Kathleen Bergansky, of Auburn Township.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMI GINGRICH
A portrait of the nest showing its shape and entrance/exit hole.
larva a variety of insects, tending to them constantly until they mature into infertile females. These newly formed females immediately begin to enlarge the nest and tend to the eggs, which the fertile female continues to deposit into newly constructed cells. Thus, the cycle continues throughout the summer and as the nest enlarges, more and more wasps are produced. At the nest’s peak, up to 400 members may exist. Scientists refer to such colonies as “eusocial,” meaning that they are highly organized. The wasps’ survival depends on the specialized division of labor, and the success of the nest relies on the diligence of the entire colony. But just how is that imposing grey orb created? If you have ever examined one up close, or run your fingers over the exterior, you will be amazed to find that the nest is actually made of paper! Let it be known that wasps were making paper long before humans. Each member of the working hive carefully selects and chews pieces of wood fiber. While chewing, starches in the wasp’s saliva are combined to make a specialized wood pulp. This pulp is then deposited around the layers of developing larvae and slowly develops into a large ball. Each type of wood fiber collected and chewed results in a different color creating the most incredibly beautiful patterns. As the layers of horizontal combs containing larvae grow within, so do the surrounding walls of the hive. Thus, a structure that may have been too small to notice ear-
ly in the summer, becomes much more visible as the hive increases in size. Toward the end of summer, as temperatures begin to drop, the queen begins to lay additional eggs that will hatch out as drones. These male hornets will disperse to fertilize newly emerging females in other hives. It is these fertilized girls that will find a sheltered spot in which to ride out the winter and begin new colonies the following spring. Normally, the first hard frost of autumn kills off all the workers, the fertilized queens having already departed to find shelter. The empty nest is an incredibly important source of food for birds. Within days after the colony dies, chickadees, titmice and woodpeckers anxiously pull the nest apart to gorge on the freshly deceased larvae remaining within. You may have heard the folklore phrase: “See how high the hornet’s nest, ‘twill tell how high the snow will rest.” This was a way for old-timers to determine the severity of the upcoming winter. A nest built low, meant there would be little snow for the wasps to worry about, while a nest high up in the branches foretold of much snow to come. In all honesty, however, by the time winter rolls around the occupants of the hive have long since passed away, leaving the empty nest to sway in the chilly, winter winds. Not everyone can find it in their heart to appreciate bald-faced hornets. Afterall, if the nest is disturbed in any way causing them to See Nest • Page 4
Middlefield Senior Trash Pickup Middlefield Township Road Crew will again work with the Geauga County Department on Aging employees and volunteers Sept. 28 and 29 to remove unwanted items from registered seniors’ garages and yards. Seniors who wish to participate in the 2022 trash day pickup program must register with the department on aging. Seniors who complete their yearly registration prior to the cleanup dates only need to make a phone by Sept. 21 to be placed on the community pickup roster. No more than 10 items per household. For specific allowable community guidelines or to register, call 440-279-2130.
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