[gardeners] Mud Daubers

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Byron,
    The wasp that you describe is indeed a Mud Dauber. I don't think
that they will use the pine boards with drilled holes. They like to put
their nests in out of the way places, under eaves, chimneys, dryer
exhaust vents, garden equipment (especially around motors), mufflers,
etc.
    There are several kinds of Mud Daubers. Some build parallel tubes,
some build nests more like lumps, some have rough surfaces, some smooth.

    They are very beneficial to have around the garden. Mud Daubers use
larvae, spiders, and other soft bodied insects as food for their
offspring when the eggs hatch.
    The nests can be a nuisance depending on where it is built. We lost
a fan for the hood vent over the stove. Mama Mud Dauber thought that the
exhaust tube made a great place to build. The speed of the fan blades
was interfered with by the nest causing the fan motor to short out.
    Have you heard the buzzing sound the Mud Dauber makes when she is
attaching each little ball to the incomplete nest?
    Allen
    Bastrop Co., SE Central Tx.
    Zone 8

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