Portrait of the beewolf
Hidden life of a peaceful miner and ruthless killer
Bewolf wasps are peaceful creatures that live on pollen. But when they reproduce, become mighty miners and ruthless killers. Female beewolves can carry stones larger than their own bodies to construct nest burrows in sandy soil. They hunt honeybees, sting them, paralyze them and carry the prey back to the nest in flight.
In this quiet, undisturbed backyard I observed perhaps a dozen nests or burrows, within an area of one to two square meters. The various members of the colony dig their holes 20–30 cm (8–12 inches) apart.
All day long they dig and hunt. Female beewolves will carry stones larger than their own bodies to construct suitable nest sites in soft, sandy soil, transporting handfuls every day to dig tunnels in the ground for nesting.
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