Can anyone ID this insect?

[flowerweaver]

One thing I am seeing a lot of is this wasp. They are drinking out of the kiddie pool, and are able to land on the surface and stay afloat on the surface tension. I could not find an online ID for it, so I posted it to Bugguides.com and they moved it for expert attention and so far no one has any idea. One person thought it was in the Eumeninae family and that it was as solitary (as opposed to communal) wasp.

It seems most wasps have wavy stripes at the end, and don't have the third color of reddish brown.

Nearby the pool, there are hundreds of flying insects going in and out of our storage shed. Something has stung my spouse and dog in that area of the yard, and both of them had terrible swelling reactions, which makes me wonder if it is some type of hornet or yellow jacket. We've had to abandon using the hay in there.

I am a beekeeper and thought at first it might be a split of bees from my hive, but on observation they don't fly like bees. This shed holds our farming tools and very soon I will need to go in there, suited up, and I really want to know what I'm getting myself into first!

 

[so lucky]

How large is it? Are you saying the hundreds of flying insects are the bee/wasp in question? Any chance you can approach and watch at dusk, when they will presumably go back to their nest? You may be able to see where they are nesting and what kind of nest it is.
It looks like some of the yellow jackets we have around here, and of course they get pretty aggressive this time of year.
Good luck, and be careful! You sure don't need a life-threatening allergic reaction living way out where you do!

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might send one to your county extension agent and see if they can identify it. They should send it on to your state land grant college for identification.

With that pinched waste I'm sure it is some kind of wasp. To me it looks a lot like a yellow jacket which technically is a wasp, but the colors aren't right. I'm not sure of the size of that one either.

Basically, I don't know what you have.

 

[flowerweaver]

It's the same body size as my bees. The Bugguide people think this is not what's going in and out of the shed. It is entirely possible that what I photographed drinking in the kiddie pool is not what's going in and out of the shed.

Another reason I don't think what's in the shed are bees is that I could not find a stinger with a venom sac in either the dog or husband (although they could have scratched them off in their flailings), and whatever it was didn't die after stinging because it flew out of the dog's ear after I brought him in the house for observation. (It flew into the ceiling fan light and was quickly dispensed by a house spider before I could get a look!)

I feel like I need to do something, because if this is a colony of yellow jackets I feel my family is endangered, and if it is a split off my hive I need to relocate them into hive boxes before it gets too cold, which won't be a pleasant task either. If they are bees at least I don't think they are Africanized, or else there would have been many more stings. I estimate by the comings and goings there are at least 10,000 if not more.

 

[flowerweaver]

@Ridgerunner unfortunately, if it isn't a "white-tailed deer management" question, our ag extension is clueless. As far as I can tell they are here to promote invasive grasses and Roundup sales.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Then send it directly to the entomology department at A&M yourself or maybe give them a call first.

I know not all agents are the same but I guess I'm spoiled because Johnny has always been pretty good.

 

[flowerweaver]

OK, I just found an online form to the Entomology dept at Texas A & M for insect ID, and submitted it.

I've not found the Texas agents in the two counties I've had to deal with to be very helpful. While still in the big city, one told an elderly couple they had a rare prairie plant, and they built a very special raised bed to pamper it. When I was still working as a botanist they brought me a photo and a leaf to see if the botanical garden wanted some seeds. It was the most beautiful specimen of Western Ragweed I've ever seen! The only nice thing they've done is refer exterminators to me for collecting bee swarms.

 

[thistlebloom]

I've noticed that the wasps around here are able to sit on the surface of the water also. They congregate at the birdbaths and animal water troughs. Your insect looks more waspish than beeish to me also.

 

[flowerweaver]

Oh, I have no doubt it's a wasp, but would like to know what kind...yellow jackets and hornets are in the wasp family. I'm also trying to figure out if it is solitary or what's congregating in the shed so I know what I'm heading into when I go in there. If it's 10,000 hornets I might opt to call an exterminator instead.

 

[baymule]

I googled yellowjackets and hornets and the same pictures came up. Sooo..... based on my intensive scientific exhaustive research, I would definitely expound on the theory that your mystery insect is a jellowjackethornet.

Call the exterminator. Where is Arnold Schwarzenegger when you need him? Oh wait! That's the Terminator! Same difference, just call him.