NATURE
CLAY MASTERS No need to fear these wasps — mud daubers make good neighbors words and photographs by MIKE DUNN
W
asp! The word usually elicits a fearful response — especially for folks who’ve had an experience with the business end of one. But stinging wasps like yellowjackets, paper wasps and hornets are actually the minority; these are the more social of the species, ones that congregate at a nest site and guard it from any interlopers. The vast majority of wasps are soli-
tary, with females building and provisioning their own nests, and they tend to be much less aggressive. We don’t know how many species of wasps we have here in North Carolina; one estimate predicts that around 2,000 different wasps may call our state home. Most people know only a handful of these. One group of wasps many homeowners are familiar with are those known for their mud structures. These are often found around buildings, usually
under the eaves or in some other place protected from the rain; in nature, you can find them under loose tree bark or rock ledges. We know them as “mud daubers,” “dirt daubers” or simply “dobbers.” While many people may know their name and realize they are wasps, few are aware of their fascinating life history — and are often unnecessarily wary of their presence. We have three of these wasps in our area: the Yellow-legged Mud Dauber, The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 29
