Monday 24 May 2010

Do other species communicate with us?

Eh? Have I taken leave of my senses? This is going to sound a bit "off the wall" but it is something that fascinates me so please bear with me.
A couple of years ago I was trimming a hedge in my garden. This was at the end of the bird nesting season so I was just tidying up the edges as I felt that I was not doing any harm to any wildlife. Suddenly a wasp landed on my hand. It didn't sting me but just "sat" there. I gently shook it off only to have it return and sting me. It was quite bizarre as the wasp appeared to deliberately come back to specifically sting me. For some reason this caused me to pause in the trimming and upon looking further along the hedge I discovered a well hidden wasp nest about 3 feet away. If the wasp had not stung me I would have cut straight into the nest with reuslts I would rather not thing about! To this day I am sure that the wasp was trying to warn me.
Interestingly a few years previously when I lived at another house we again discovered a wasp nest in the garden. This was in a tree and we didn't discover it until the autumn when the leaves came off. Strangely we had been sitting under this tree all summer without realising we had a wasp nest just feet above our heads! Obviously we didn't disturb the wasps and they didn't disturb us.
The same thing applies to ants. We have several quite large (by U.K. standards) ants nests in the garden. In fact one of our regular visitors expressed surprise at the number and size of the nests. The point is that despite having so many ants around they never come into the house whereas other people in the neighbourhood who have ants nests regard them as a nuisance. Despite putting down poison they keep entering their houses.
So do wasps,ants etc know who cares for them and leave us alone or am I just being fanciful?
I am still working steadily on my internet business whoisjohnbeaumont.com and is looking good.
Thought for today:- Do we care enough about our wildlife and do all we can to protect them?
Joke for today:- I grew up with six brothers. Thats how I learned to dance--waiting for the bathroom. Bob Hope
On this day:- In 1819 Queen Victoria was born
In 1941 Bob Dylan was born

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