The wasps found a hidden area between the rafters in the overhang in the run to build their nest. I’m not sure how I didn’t disturb them before this, but when I went to fill the far hanging water for the chickens, they certainly let me know they were there now. (There might have been some hollering on my part as I ran.)

Here is another good reason to have multiple watering stations. I abandoned the far water containers near the nest, knowing the chickens have access to water at three other spots. I waited until dusk, when the chickens were up for the night and the wasps were quiet, then soaked the nest with wasp spray. Thoroughly. In the morning the spray was dry and the wasps were gone. The instructions on the can recommend waiting 24 hours before removing the nest, but I’m going to wait until it falls down on its own. I’ve read that wasps are territorial and won’t nest where there is another nest. Some people even put up fake nests to deter wasp activity. I had an old nest up on the other side of the run for nearly a year and while it was there, no other wasps nested in the area.

Here is another new-to-me critter, a Melonworm moth. I saw him (most definitely a male) when I stepped outside in the early morning. What I thought was a spider hanging off his abdomen are hair-pencils, and are used in the moth’s courtship rituals. Here is a video of him shaking his pompom. (OK, shaking is the wrong word, wafting it through the air is a better description for the very slow movements.) Their favorite host plants are squash and melons. I just planted winter squash. Go away little moth and leave my cucurbits alone!