The joys of single parenthood.

wow how great seeing that toto, well done, poor mum left alone,thanx for sharing :o)

wow from me to Toto, those photos are fantastic

Amazing close ups ...thank you toto...never seen wasps at nursery that close! They're really beautifully marked aren't they?

Thanks Sandra and Irish.

Great pics isnt nature fasinating.

Fascinating pics....not seen this before... Thank you for sharing :))

That was unbelievable Toto, well done to you. Fantastic blog.

Brilliant blog, Toto. I felt quite sad when poor Mum was left alone after all her hard work and I couldn't resist an 'Aah' when that first baby appeared. I wonder why some had 'overcoats' and others not? One of the best blogs I've seen. Thank you for sharing.

Toto - one amazing blog, thank you so much for sharing. Your patience taking the fab pics has paid off. Its one of the rare occasions that I've shown a blog to hubby - we share the love and fascination of wildlife. I wasnt aware of what went on in those nests, I will treasure this forever and this all took place in 5/6 weeks, brilliant, thank you.

My sentiments exactly, Dawn! Well done, Toto! Fantastic photos and patience! :-))

Brilliant blog wonderful pictures good to watch step by step which we would nt normally see, I will now have to show my children what I done for them on my own as a one parent. :o)))

Good job..you work for National Geographic Magazine don't you...

I think Toto could give the BBC and David Attenborough a run for their money, lol

brave to get so close. I couldnt as allergic to their sting. anaphlaxis and all that. :o(

Oh dear Seaburn, you need to be careful then. I disturbed a nest on the bank of my brook a few weeks ago and got stung a couple of times, I didnt even know it was there, you take care.

Brilliant Toto, absolutely brilliant, amazing shots and such detail too. Well done.

Fantastic photos and blog Toto. The process is quite fascinating. Well done on capturing the whole process. Even though I'm off wasps at the moment due to my close encounter......ahem!!

Thank you all for your lovely comments, they are all much appreciated. Just one thing I must apologise to Fluff as I said thanks to Sandra and Irish early on and missed you out Fluff. Please believe me whenI tell you that you hadn't appeared on my screen when I thanked the others.

I know Toto...no worries...happens to me all the time! :o)

These are fantastic pics Toto and a wonderful insight into nature. Thank you.

Thank you Lily.
Seaburn, I sympathise with anyone who is allergic to them as I know how nasty and dangerous that can be.
Cat and Dawn. Wouldn't it be just great if your comments were true?
I understand Gilli. How is the rear end?

Brilliant Toto like a documentary not sure what you mean by quality of photos .. be thrilled if could capture such an event in this kind of detail .Well done .

So glad you put this blog together - isn't it amazing what a tiny (relative size of nest) insect can do, bringing the next generation through in less than seven weeks. Just found this online -
We want to hear from you
The countryside is the biggest untold story in British journalism today. Help us to tell that story in all its variety and subtlety by emailing news, feature ideas and letters to: editorial@thecountryman.co.uk
We all think you are better than much we have seen so go for it.

Absolutely Toto...do this!

If youre sending it off toto the eggs you keep reffering to are actually hatched larvae, eggs dont grow but larvae do its the "caterpillar" stage of this life cycle all done in the cell and all fed by mum!

excellent blog and pics just what we expect from you, really high standards of photography, well done !!!

Absolutely brilliant Toto. It really is to National Geographic standards, to my eyes. I'm sure they would be interested. It obviously took great patience and persistence and has more than paid off. I feel quite privileged to be on GoY to see it. Thank you.

That was great to see toto fantastic photography......Well Done:~)))))

Brilliant blog and photography Toto , it was fascinating to follow through the stages, so much more wiser now!

Thanks for pointing that out Indypendant, my mistake. You are quite right of course, it's only the second pick which actually shows the eggs. I hope you believe me when I say that I did know that the other pics show larvae and not eggs. I shouldn't try writing blogs whilst under the influence.
I'll go back and correct it but won't be sending it anywhere but GOY.
To those I haven't thanked yet, I do sincerely thank you all for you lovely comments. It's so nice to be able to share with people who have similar interests.

Amazing Toto, this is truly up-close and personal, thankyou for this rare insight, I'll be showing the granchildren tomorrow! :o)))

Thank you Junglejen.

Toto...here I thought you were a sweet little robin...and you are really a chicken...brrrrack..braaawck...braawk...

just teasing..

I am dissapointed that you aren't going to send it off somewhere.....we are not poor judges of talent you know...
it's good stuff Toto...

I'll respond to you properly tonight Cat. I'm off to work now.

I along with the others above think the quality and the set of pics are worthy of submission to a wider audience, I do not recall ever having seen the process dealy with in this way and in such detail The link given sounds like a great place to start, and if your write up also dealt with the benefits that wasps do bring to us all then it would make an excellent educational piece for all who read/saw it!

I personally would urge you to submit it for consideration,

Yes I do believe you by the way, and would have left out the comment I made, save for the fact that you MAY have been submitting it , when it would have been held against the decision to publish! I would not like to think my keeping silent spoilt a chance for one of us to help the rest of the world to come to a greatere understanding of what surrounds us everyday and is so little observed!

Thank you Indy, your comments are very kind and submit or not I'm always glad to be corrected when I do my usual screw up of things.
I will reconsider sending it to the site suggested and I certainly agree that much of the world seems to live in a black plastic bag in which is their own little kingdom dominated by mobile phones, television and self centred desire for things material. I don't think these people would even be interested in the simpler and more magical things around them. The audience would be made up of those already interested.

Sorry Cat I did promise you an answer. I really don't consider it talent. I was just lucky enough to be around and spotted her making her nest. It was wonderful to see so I made a point of following her progress. I selfishly did it for me but was glad to share with those who I thought may have similar interests. I really can't believe the response I have had. There are so many lovely people on GOY who are so generous with their praise.

Just do it Toto, nothing ventured etc.... ;o)

Toto: Praise, where praise is due ..... your blog is fantastic and I certainly share your passion for wildlife and the simple things in life :-)

Thank you Dawn.

I was fascinated reading your blog and the photos are first class. You have infinite patience and we all appreciate your artistry. Please accept all the praise 'cos you deserve it. :~)))))) Love Sue xx

Thanks Sue but it wasn't that hard to do. It weas more luck than atiistry.

Brilliant photography Toto......and not one sting......Well done .......You can have the shed back now...........

I never lost the use of the shed Milky. She did her thing and I did mine.

The mind boggles!!!!

Toto - it's such an amazing piece of wild-life photography, we have all told you - it deserves to be seen by a wider audience! :-))))))

And, I couldn't have gone in there with the wasps either!

This early brood and their mum are virtually never know to be aggresive , it is totally counter productive, for her part she "must" rear her brood and stinging situations are to be avoided as they may mean her death. The first brood out are too busy finding building and setting up a new (bigger) home and providing for the colony to do aggro either unless forced to it , but watch out for the successive generations they then have the numbers to lose a few and not jeoparise the viability of the whole.
These generations are usually ready to "fight " for their living by August/september when the fruit harvest comes in to full swing!

So for those nervous of them try to remember before july they will probably ignore you completely though they may fly very close to you it will not be aggresive unless youre standing on their nest!
I have on more than one occasion laid down within a foot or so of the entrance hole of a wasps nest to watch what happens at their doorway and come to no harm at all !
Stay out their flight path and its not a problem, they know youre not there to raid their stores as they do not keep stores, do not try this trick with bee's they will seek you out and have a go if you do as their stores are very valuable to them (and many other animals) and they know to look for approaching marauders. Key to all this is know your subjects life cycle and the species imperatives which control them!

Oh Wow!! Fascinated by your pics I always wondered how they start to build the nest - they are so intricate and delicate looking - I've only seen much larger ones. People get so worried but I've always been a believer that if you leave them alone they will leave you too - I've got some bumble bees in the garden that dig little holes in the ground so I put a yellow pot nearby so I know not to tread on them. Thank you for your pics!

Like you Indy, I have laid within a fot of a wasps nest and photographed them and have published a pic on here. Even in August and September I have found no problem with them. You just need to move slowly so as not to startle them. I have been stung in the past and probably will be again but I bet it was something I did which triggered the reaction, I don't blame the wasp. The things you see are worth it.
Great to hear that you are looking after your bumble bees Genuisscuffy and thanks for you comment.

Boggle away Wagger. You can read all about it in the Sunday Sport.

Thanks for your encouragement Spritz. I'm still thinking about it.

Want to read all about it in 'The Countryman', LOL.

Thanks Wagger but even if I decide to contact them, I'm sure they will have much better material to work with.

I've just looked through them for the umpteenth time - and they are brill!!!!!!!! What does it take with you? Stop being so d***ed modest, man and remember - nothing ventured nothing gained. Just go back and read all the positive comments again.

Fascinating blog and great pix Toto ... how about sharing a few trade secrets, such as what sort of camera and lens you used?

I was interested to read what Indypendant had to say about their aggression increasing throughout the summer. I noted when I was picking plums in August the wasps that were all over them didn't bother me. I wonderd if they were either so transfixed by the plums they couldn't be bothered by me or perhaps that they were even a little drunk, the sugar in the fruit having turned to alcohol? I'm just guessing here though...

Just found this blog Toto.....only one word ... superb !! So did you submit it ??? :-))

Same here Sue and i agree, it's superb !

Hi, Stonecrofter. I don't have any special camera or lenses. My camera is a Fujifilm Finepix 9600S. It is not an SLR. It would be lovely to be able to afford an SLR with some good macro and telephoto lenses but not possible.
I thank you, Sue and Louise for your lovely comments and Sue, no I did not submit.

Shame, it was well worthy ! :-))

Thank you Sue.

Just come across this Toto, fascinating, I had a wasp nest at the end of my garden a few years ago. I loved watching them and seeing their slow circling dances. wasn't stung, they seemed oblivious to me. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera then, but even if I had the quality would have been nothing like this. Do they keep multiplying in the same nest from the same queen? the nest I had was only there for one season, but there were hundreds of wasps:-)

The nest in my shed was built and cared for by one queen. Once the young had emerged the nest was deserted. I hope I get another nest next year.

Good blog Toto and great photos. Similar process with the beekeeping Toto as the queen lays eggs, then grubs being fed and growing, then the bees covering them over whilst they pupate into adults. Fascinating eh.

Thanks Lindak. Certainly is a fascinating process.

Perhaps this is a particular sort of wasp that only makes a small nest Toto as some make huge nests don't they. WHen we moved here there was an enormous one up in the loftspace.

Hi Lindak
I've just posted another pic of a wasp's nest which I found in a barn in Worcestershire. As you say there seem to be a number of different ones.

I really enjoyed this blog Toto....I've never seen anything like it...wonderful, thankyou...:>)

Thanks Motinot.