Photos: The Killer Strikes But Does Not Prevail! by: brendasue

Saturday Night Special:  
Return of the Killer Wasp


Last Night we saw the Cicada Killer Wasp with a Cicada trying to get it Home.  The last frame of the photostudy showed the pair had made it to the top of the tree.  From there, the Killer made it over the roof with the Cicada to the backyard deck.


Tonight we begin our photostudy with the Killer attempting to get her prey down to the hole.  All over the yard and creek are these tunnels made by these Killer Bees. Usually they fly their prey straight to the hole and in.  Our Star Bee tonight had a bright idea:
She made her hole and tunnel under the deck out back.  As she began the hunt, one by one should would fly the cicada over the roof, put it between the boards of the  deck and down they both will go.


As we saw yesterday, this cicada was so fat that the bee had a hard time getting it up and over the roof!  Well, guess what happen when she got it to her front door?????

Red Knock Out Roses at Kates Cabin                       by:  brendasue


This Bud is for You!

Come On In                 by:  brendasue





Hi Everybody!  This is the front deck to my Cabin (next door to Kates).  This is where we left off last Night with the Bee trying to get the fat cicada up and over the roof!  We did witness liftoff.
I went through the Cabin to the back deck and recorded the 'Landing'.  This is the photostudy for tonight:

Hey Baby:  How About A Kiss?              by:  brendasue



Let The Class Begin:

To Market, To Market, To Buy A Fat Pig                                 by:  bremdasue
Home Again, Home Again Jiggetty Jig.

Under the Rocking Chair                                 by:  brendasue


(Take the Long Way Home)

In you go, sucker                  by:  brendasue

I said:  Get in this hole you fat butt                               by:  brendasue

You are Too Fat To Go In Cicada!                          by:  brendasue

Come On,  You have to move to a wider hole!              by:  brendasue

All Right--Get Down                             by:  brendasue

Trying this Angle                    by:  brendasue

Not Believing This!                      by:  brendasue

Now I am going to Stuff You In Here                      by:  brendasue



Let's take this opportunity to look at the belly area of the Cicada.
The sting from the Female Killer Wasp to the Cicada has subdued it, but not killed it.  Now she will lay her eggs on the body of the cicada before placing it in the hole leading to the underground tunnel. The cicada will remain alive in suspended state in the tunnel for ten days or so until the eggs hatch out. The baby killers will eat the body of the cicada, and when finished will hibernate underground in larval state until next July, when they will come out and begin there own hunt.

Unbelievable--How Unfair is Life?                       by:  brendasue

I am getting tired of messing with you, Cicada             by:  brendasue

Take That--I will sting you into the hole!                  by:  brendasue

This was not suppose to be difficult!                  by:  brendasue

Okay, get over here!                         by:  brendasue

Come On Now---In You Go, Fatso                 by:  brendasue

I am pushing as hard as I can!                by:  brendasue

This is making me Crazy                         by:  brendasue

Dragging Miss Daisy                          by:  brendasue

Looking at me as though I somehow caused the problem!      by:  brendasue

In the End, The Cicada still would not fit!                by:  brendasue






This concludes our photostudy  on the the Cicada Killer Wasp trying to get the Cicada into the hole.  I encourage you to discover more about the Cicada at this link:

http://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/




This is a great site!  Just click on link.  (Some of my links and previous posts are invisible on my Google site.)  Run your arrow over the black spots and they light up! (I luv Google!)

For Those who missed the Moonrise tonight, here it is!  (8-21-10)          by:  brendasue



Goodnight Moon and Goodnight to You All


(Be careful out there with the full moon approaching--you might feel like Howling At The Moon!)

The End                                by:  Kay Lonnie Wray



......this is brendasue signing off from Rainbow Creek


Thanks for clicking in.           katescabin@gmail.com














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Photos For You! by: brendasue

Hi Everybody:  Come On In!


Last week, I displayed a photostudy on the Cicada Killer Wasp.  I told you how these wasps hunt the cicadas in August. Today I bring you the Cicada for your Friday Night Special!


Take a break. Absorb some ideas about Nature in this mini-nature Class where there are no Teachers, No Rules, No Tests, No Fees to Enter, No Classrooms. (Come as you are even if it is your pajamas!)

A Rose From My Garden to You     by:  brendasue

I Am Going To Kick Some Cidada Butt    by:  brendasue

Let The Class Begin!

Hi Everyone!  I Am A Cicada     by:  brendasue

I spend most of my life in Trees and lay my eggs in the branches    by:  brendasue

I saw this guy sitting on this tree, so I shot a couple of identifying photos for you. The 'Hunt' is in full Swing here at Kates Cabin. The Killer Wasps are bringing in a bumper crop of cicada!  I really wanted to show you how the Hunter Bee brings the cicada home to the nest. Haven't figured out how to photograph  that flight yet.


Well, you are not going to believe this:  Right after I shot the above photos on the tree, I was standing on the deck trying to think of how to capture this and one Killer Bee Flys over my head with a cicada and falls on the ground in front of me:

Just a blurrrrr, but what I was asking for also, a bee w/cicada    by:  brendasue

The She Bee starts climbing upward with the cicada     by:  brendasue

To the Top of the Railing!   by:  brendasue

This concludes our photostudy on  Cicada Killer Wasps Carrying their Catch to the house.

katescabin@gmail.com

.....this is brendasue signing off from Rainbow Creek

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Photostudy Today: Giant Killer Bees & Super Sunset by: brendasue

The Giant Killer Bees Are Gathering and Preparing For The August Hunt.  A Great Bee To See.
 Come On In, Take a Nature Break.

         How Hot Is It?                          by:brendasue



Welcome Everyone.  I wonder if it is Hot everywhere?  Hopefully you are somewhere cool at your computer where you can chill out and look at these Big Bees!  I just love them and look forward to them returning every year in July.  You do not have to worry about them killing You (unless you are a cicada)!

       Flight Deck Command Center                                     by:  brendasue


Here you can see the real size of this Bee in flight over the deck. They all pick out a corner to 'guard' as their spot.

          Perfect Dirt Landing                                      by:  brendasue

This is named a Cicada Killer. They have come here for the big Cicada Hunt that starts anyday now.  These bees make tunnels in the sand exactly big enough for the bee and his prey to fit in the opening. They dig very fast using all legs and scooping the sand out of the hole to a mound. Only the females gather the cicada. Only the females can sting. The males are nectar feeders.

    
                Cicada Killer Wasp                                            by:  brendasue


Let the Class Begin!

                       My Leaf                           by:  brendasue



Here you can see our killer bee on 'his' leaf that he has chosen to defend. He looks back and forth, up and down, for other bee intruders. (He is not concerned with me, the camera or the dogs).
This plant is named a four o'clock so that should give you a reference of the size of the leaf. This is the largest bee I have ever seen.  (About an inch long).

                   Hello Everybody!                           by:  brendasue


The cicada (the prey) are a large pest insect known for destroying fruit tree leaves and crops.  Also, identified by their summer song in August.  They are in the trees and as the heat builds in the afternoon, they get louder.  When the hunt begins, these Killer Wasps (females) will go to the trees, sting the cicada to subdue and then pick them off the tree and fly them home to their hole in the ground. Some of the cicada are so big, the bees have a hard time flying them in. To me, this is great to watch. It will go on for about three weeks until all the cicada are gone.  The females lay some eggs on the live but paralyzed cicada and when they hatch in 10 days they will eat the live cicada.

      Welcome to My Leaf!                                by:  brendasue


check out this link below to find out more about the Cicada Killer Wasp, sometimes referred to as a Sand Hornet:

http://www.masterbeekeeper.org/stinging/cicadakiller.htm

    Don't Worry, I have no stinger!                                      by:  brendasue

                 It is the Males that are 'On Guard'                              by:  brendasue

       Oh, What Big Red Eyes You Have!                                              by:  brendasue

                  Just call me Pretty Boy!                           by:  brendasue

                We help Humans by saving crops from the Cicada                        by:  brendasue

                Dude:  Please Do Not Kill Us                                       by:  brendasue

                  See Ya!                           by:  brendasue


This concludes our photostudy for today on this fantastic Bee:


The Cicada Killer Wasp or Sand Hornet.


Please stop using Pesticides.

               Now Enjoy the Sunset (in Texas) on July 27, 2010                    by:  brendasue

Goodnight Everyone, Everywhere.   Sweet Dreams.




.............this is brendasue signing off from Rainbow Creek








You can contact me at:    katescabin@gmail.com






























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