termites?

Last spring I built a raised bed for my bamboo and sided it with limbed branches from one of the trees I cut down. It made a nice rustic effect and I had considered doing the same edging for another raised bed I was building this year.

This morning while I was looking over the plants I found a swarm of flying insects around one end of the bed, in the shade. Because there isn't anything to eat there (nothing planted on or around that end yet) I went to investigate. These are what I found. Because they moved so quickly it was hard to snap a good picture. Are they termites? And if so, how do I get rid of them?

From what I can see, they don't look like termites to me. Termites have "beaded" antennae and no "waist". These look like some kind of parasitic or predatory wasp. If so, then they are good guys.

Obviously, that's what I wanted to hear. :)

I'm going out to investigate the area again this morning.

I'm with Night_Bloom.

Look like ichneuman wasps with the long antennae. Hmmmm.... Beneficial. They parasitize other insects, usually the larva stage.
http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_wasps/ICHNEUMONIDAE.htm



This message was edited Jun 9, 2006 4:35 PM

It appears that there are, in fact, holes all over the wood. There are two in the (blurry) photo that I posted above: one top center, and the other right below the left insect.

I've now found these insects swarming around all of the log borders (but not in the center) of my raised bed, and all over a large log that I had curing in another part of the yard for use in making a rustic garden bench. There are small, round holes all over the wood everywhere these insects are swarming.

These flying insects (I can't believe how many of them there are) scuttle around the wood and are not found elsewhere in the yard. They have long antenna which rapidly bounce around and long hind legs that remind me of a grasshopper. They seem to be grounded when they get wet (e.g. when I water the beds with a sprinkler attachment).

At this point I'm pretty sure that they are a type of wasp, the two main candidates being a type of wood wasp (shape and color are off for all local varieties that I've compared pictures of) or a type of wasp that paratisizes wood wasps (including some of those that were described in the link posted by ceejay, which seem to be a better fit). The shape, size, and distribution of holes appears consistent with the photographs and descriptions I've read for wood wasps, so this may in fact be what I'm looking at.

I'm not sure what control, if any, is indicated. I rarely use any chemicals of any kind in my yard and gardens (the cherry tree being the only notable exception) but I don't want too much damage to my wood, and I'm disappointed to see all of the holes in my nice bench log. If I could be certain they won't touch my structural timbers (house, greenhouse, arbor, etc.) I would be inclined to treat the bench log and ignore them on the raised beds. I suppose more identification and research is in order.

I can't imagine that many ichmneumons in one place. These are very definitely not termites. But, as you said, more research is indicated! Can you possibly get a picture that is a little more in focus? I would like to see the body shape, and, if possible, the number of wings....one pair, two pair?
Another thought is that there are a couple of excellent websites, my favorites, that have all kinds of insects to look at and you could even send yours to them for ID. It is
http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740 and the other is http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

It sounds like the eggs were laid inside the log, and the larva that hatched from them have now pupated and emerged as adults. There are ichneumons that lay their eggs in trees (the larva then eat another insect's larva before pupating inside the tree - still good guys) but these don't look like that one. What kind of wood are the holes in?

I will try to get another picture, but as I said, they move fast. The wood is deciduous, and that is about all I can say about it. The previous owners had a couple dogs which severely damaged the trunk and I took it out just as started to leaf out last spring.

I appreciate all of the help. Yesterday I was at a friend's house a few blocks away and he had the same type of wasps flying around his woodpile, with similar holes in the wood. His were probably ornamental fruit trees, also felled last spring.

Capture some and give them the freeze treatment. Then take a photo. Sometimes that's what you have to do.....

Better picture, from the log.

It looks like these have narrow waists. Do some of them have fairly long ovipositors? They do have two pairs of wings - right? Then they'd be hymenoptera.
Only a guess, because I really don't know: wood wasp, or perhaps horntail. Google them and see if any match up... But definitely not ichneumon or brachonid.

I'm only seeing one set of wings, and I haven't noticed prominent ovipositors... Definately not horntails.

http://whatsthatbug.com/ichneumons.html
Scroll down about 9 pictures....and then about 6 more pictures (for a total of 15)
This is a great site to post your photo, and find out what it is.

This message was edited Jun 14, 2006 6:53 PM