Dizzy wasps?

[whipper_snapper]

I just removed an old dead Air-X wind charger and replaced with an air breeze. I noticed a wasp appeared and hovered around the centre of the identical looking new device, but did not pay much attention.


A few hours later, I started to strip down the old one. I removed the 'nose-cone' and there on the hub was a tiny wasp nest on a stalk. Mounted horizontally, as it were. Now the weird thing is, the boat has been ashore for a few months but the Air-X has been left free to turn. It trickles round almost constantly and if it blows hard it really spins.

How can a wasp have been mad enough to decide that was a good place to make a nest ? And how did it cope when it spun?


(I have photos, but no cable to download off the camera)

 

[snowleopard]

They do nest in some odd places. I had a dinghy with a hole in the side and they set up home in there untill a few days of heavy rain dissolved the nest. I've also had them make nests inside the detatched hard-top of my car over the summer.

What was wrong with the Air-X? I have a live one with dead blades - maybe a swap could produce something that could work, PM me.

 

[whipper_snapper]

Update:

24 hours later the wasp is still buzzing the new wind charger looking for its nest. I feel so guilty!


The old Air-x was simply dead - didn't work at all. I plan to strip it and see what is going on; there is a lot of corrosion going on, lots of white dust when I opened it up. If it is fixable I plan to fit the new 'quieter' blades and keep it as a spare.

Either way, you are welcome to the blades - they seem in good nick, but they are defintely not 'quiet'!