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Why Does the Wasp ‘Drink’ So Much Water? The Mud Daubers

on 3rd March 2016

“I have often been intrigued when watching wasps drink water. It is not an uncommon observation when I am out bird watching and even in our own garden. At our home they will come to our bird bath and sip water. Some sites have suggested that wasps are ‘thirst creatures’ and need to drink lots of water but there are other reasons for coming to water.

ThreadWaistedWasp-water [AmarSingh] 1

“Recently I have taken an interest in imaging insects and so when my wife spotted a wasp drinking from our bird bath this week (22-24th January 2016), she quickly alerted me. I had little hopes of getting my camera in time but was surprised when it came back again (above).

ThreadWaistedWasp-mus [AmarSingh] 2

“It then occurred to me that perhaps I was asking the wrong question. The wasp was not ‘dinking’ as much as collecting water for a purpose. We continued our observation and spotted the wasp going to a pile of over-turned soil in the garden, mainly consisting of mud. We then realised it was using the water to help extract mud to build its nest (above). We were subsequently able to watch many episodes over 2-3 days and obtain some images and videos.

“I am uncertain of the full identity of this wasp but it belongs to the ‘Thread-Waisted Wasp’ group and is called a ‘Mud Dauber’ (sometimes called ‘Mud Wasp’) from either the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae that build their nests from mud (possibly Sphex species). It is reported that females build the nest. I was able to watch the mud collection process up close, as close a wasp will let you (0.5 meter).

ThreadWaistedWasp-mud [AmarSingh] 3

“The wasp uses its mandibles to scoop up mud and the front set of legs are used to hold, shape and carry the mud. The water collected appears to be used to loosen the mud, enable it to be moulded onto a ball as well as coat it; the mud ball is often glistening with water (above). The ball of mud collected can often be as big as the thorax of the wasp. One magnificent sight is seeing this wasp takes off with a mud ball in its grasp. Despite many tries I was not able to get a still image of this.

“The edited video of some events (above) shows the activity.”

ThreadWaistedWasp-mud2nest [AmarSingh] 4

“The nest is located on the retaining wall of our home and hidden in the Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) and Money Plant (Epipremnum aureum) that cover that part of our garden (above, below).

ThreadWaistedWasp-nest construct [AmarSingh] 5

“It is sad that many view wasps as a ‘threat’ and kill them. The Mud Daubers are generally not aggressive and rarely sting. Watching them build a nest can be a fascinating and absorbing activity for anyone, especially children.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
24th January 2016

References/Useful Information:
1.
Wikipedia on Mud dauber HERE.
2. Jen Tenenbaum. Why Do Wasps Hover Over Water? HERE.
3. David Richman. Why do Wasp drink water from my pool and what do they need it for? HERE.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

5 Responses

  1. Thank you BESG for sharing this informative and helpful post! ^_^

    May you receive ALL the loving energies that you generously share with self and interconnected others (All of Life/All That Is) a thousandfold.

    Continue to Be an invaluable gift to self/Self, interconnected HUmanity, Mother Earth/Gaia, merging worlds, and beyond.

    <3 <3 <3 Barbara

  2. my bird bath has regular visitors, especially wasps, they seem to visit 4 30pm every day as though they are preparing for the night ahead, it is fascinating watching them, they seem to have a minuet of drinking , rush off and then refill , of coarse I have no idea if it is the same wasp that returns or what their purpose is . they seem to know when it is clean water as their is always more visitors , oh to know were they go and be part of their life which to me is secretive and so interesting. Perhaps the fabulous Chris Packem will help.

  3. Thank you so much for your observation and report! I’ve been observing this behaviour in paper wasps in our balcony garden for the past 2 weeks.

  4. Thank you for this information. My son was stung 3 times by a wasp while on our pool deck. We then noticed we would see more than one flying around. Then to realize they where getting water from the pool and they would all fly right back to the same spot which was through a crack of the deck. So i was curious to find out why they needed this water. it was several different ones coming back and forth.

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