Drawback

I spent an hour or so at the garden this morning, weeding and watering and putting in a few annuals for bouquets later in the summer. When it was time to go, I happened to open the top bin of the little potting bench we keep in the corner, and a few wasps flew out. On closer examination, I noticed the beginnings of a paper nest, just five or six cells. It's inhabitants were as mad as the hornets they were, but luckily I avoided their wrath, smacking one of them through the air with my trusty shovel. I couldn't get in there to remove the nest, though, that chore is for another day soon when I am armed with something to subdue them first.

I did a little research when I got home, and it turns out that those five were probably the first generation. The queen starts a nest on her own, and then the offspring pitch in as they mature, growing their home exponentially. Luckily, I discovered their habitat early on, because lifting the lid on 125 or even 25 wasps could have been a way different story. Wasps are generally regarded as beneficial to gardeners, preying on insects that would gladly eat our crops, and I would consider keeping them around, too, if it weren't for that stinging thing.