AN EYE ON NATURE

On a visit to the Blessington lakes at the end of October, we saw that some large beech trees near the shore had recently been felled. We noticed a circle of wasps all around the outer part of one freshly-cut tree-stump. They looked docile and did not move when we approached. Is it usual to see wasps out and about at this time of year, and why did they gather on the newly-cut tree?

These were the worker wasps whose work was finished when the new queens and drones were reared. For the rest of their short lives they roam the country in search of ripe fruit and sugar. Yours were feeding on beech sap which is rich in sugar and from their description they were gorged. They die when the cold weather arrives.