Day 130: 5 Minute Freewrite: Monday-Prompt: wasps

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Day 130: 5 Minute Freewrite Challenge initiated by @mariannewest. Monday-Prompt: wasps

The Polistes family was, how should I say, unique. Mrs. Polistes wore the pants in the family. They built their home next to the barn that had been in the family for many generations. Their first home wasn't sturdy so they had to build another one a year later. This was not an easy task because their long, dangling legs made it difficult for them to climb the ladders. "It must be made of wood!" the Mrs. ordered. Babies were born and the family grew, but none of them left the family home. Last count was 30. It didn't take much to feed the adults since they were all heavy drinkers. But, I must say that they fed their children well. The adults didn't like mealtime because it was exhausting to feed the children. First they had to soften the food, then draw out the liquids for the babies, and finally, they served the softened solids to the toddlers. This wasn't done with bottles and spoons. It was exhausting because of all of the heaving, as this was the only way to soften their food. You can just imagine how happy they were when their children grew older. Oh, the lives of wasps.

This is a Northern Paper Wasp; the Polistes species. They fly with their long hind legs dangling down for no good reason; it is an hereditary trait. They mix wood with their saliva to build their paper-like nests, which can be found near things that are made of wood. Their nests are easily destroyed so they build a new one every year. The adults kill insects and caterpillars, they soften them and regurgitate the liquid to feed the new larvae and regurgitate the solid parts for the older larvae.

Image Source: 100% own work.