Went for a short paddle late in the day. The leaves are just starting to turn. Had the whole place to myself.
Found a hornet nest hanging over the creek. Empty, fortunately. Took it home to add to the collection.
These nests are made by bald-faced hornets. Their life cycle is fascinating:
It starts with one fertilized queen choosing a location for the nest and making a few cells with chewed wood pulp. She lays eggs in these cells, which hatch, and she raises them herself. Those offspring become her workers, who build more cells for more eggs, feed their younger siblings, and defend the nest. Every 20 days, a new generation of offspring comes online as the new adults join the workforce. The entire hive is offspring of the original queen, which by late summer can be 1000 strong.
Then the queen switches gears. She lays some eggs to hatch as males and a few new queens. These queens mate, fly off, and bury themselves in rotting logs where they overwinter. The rest of the hive then dies. In the spring, the mated queens emerge, and the cycle begins again.
Because this nest is not yet tattered by winter storms, it must be from this year’s brood. Somewhere nearby, young queens are bedded down waiting for spring.
Little Snow Whites, waiting to raise their own dwarves.