"NATURE STUDY" BY: LONNIE E. BROWN, FROM THE BOOK "STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE"

COURTESY OF THE WAYNE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY WHERE I RENT BOOKS TO READ.

STORY NUMBER 10 OF 40 IN THE BOOK "STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE" BY: LONNIE E. BROWN, RESIDENT OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, BORN IN RUSSELL SPRINGS.

"NATURE STUDY"

"NATURE STUDY"

SOMETIMES ON A LAZY AFTERNOON, I CONDUCTED NATURE STUDIES THAT I DID NOT TELL MY MOM ABOUT. IF MY PURSUITS INVOLVED A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH AN ANIMAL OR INSECT. I COULD COUNT ON A LECTURE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES OF GETTING HURT, OR A SCOLDING ABOUT BEING AN AGGRAVATING LITTLE THING THAT SHOULD BEHAVE MYSELF AND NOT BOTHER LITTLE INNOCENT CREATURES. THAT'S WHY I LEARNED WHAT I COULD AND FILED IT AWAY IN MY HEAD IN CASE I EVER HAD A USE FOR IT. SOMETIMES MY MISCHIEF RESULTED IN ACTUALLY LEARNING SOME LESSONS THAT I COULD APPLY TO MY LIFE LATER.

ONE SUCH EXPERIENCE WAS MY ENCOUNTER WITH A MUD DAUBER WASP. MUD DAUBERS ARE SOLITARY WASPS THAT CONSTRUCT SMALL NESTS OF MUD IN OR AROUND SHEDS, BARNS, OR UNDER OPEN STRUCTURES OR SIMILAR SITES. MUD DAUBERS SHOULD BE REGARDED AS BENEFICIAL. THEY RARELY STING AND PARALYZE AND PLACE IN THEIR NESTS IN A SERIES OF CELLS. THEY LAY A SINGLE EGG ON THE PREY, AND SEAL THE CELL WITH MUD. THEN THE FEMALE DEPARTS AND DOES NOT RETURN. THE LARVAE THAT HATCH FROM THE EGGS FEED ON THE PREY UNTIL IT'S TIME TO EMERGE AND START THE PROCESS ALL OVER. MUD NESTS CAN EASILY BE SCRAPED OFF AND DISCARDED WHEN THEY ARE NO LONGER USED.

I WAS ON ONE OF MY AFTERNOON WALKS THAT HAD NOT TURNED UP ANYTHING OF INTEREST. I WAS ALMOST HOME WHEN I NOTICED THE MUD DAUBER FLY UNDER A STORAGE SHED THAT DAD HAD BUILT NEAR THE HOUSE. I HAD NOTHING MORE INTERESTING TO DO, SO I CRAWLED UNDER THE SHED TO SEE WHERE IT WAS GOING. I SAW THAT IT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING A NEST.

I KNEW THAT FEMALES COLLECTED MUD, ROLLED IT INTO A BALL, CARRIED IT TO THE NEST, AND MOLDED IT INTO PLACE WITH ITS MANDIBLES. THIS ONE THE NEST WELL UNDERWAY AND WAS ADDING RINGED LAYERS OF MUD AT THIS POINT. IT IGNORED ME AND FLEW AWAY FOR ANOTHER MUDBALL.

I VERY CAREFULLY REACHED UP AND REMOVED THE MUD RING IT HAD JUST ATTACHED TO THE NEST. THEN I WAITED. IN A FEW MINUTES, THE DAUBER RETURNED WITH ANOTHER MUDBALL. IT SEEMED PUZZLED, BUT IT WENT TO WORK. I WATCHED WITHOUT MOVING OR MAKING A SOUND AS IT APPLIED ANOTHER ROUND OF MUD AND FLEW OFF AGAIN. AGAIN, I REACHED UP AND CAREFULLY REMOVED THE LAST MUD LAYER. I GOT BACK IN MY HIDING PLACE AND WAITED AGAIN. SHORTLY, THE DAUBER RETURNED WITH ANOTHER LOAD. IT WAS REALLY FRUSTRATED NOW. IT COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG, BUT IT KNEW IT WAS NOT MAKING ANY PROGRESS.

IT CHECKED OUT THE ENTIRE NEST, GOING UP AND OVER AND ALL AROUND. IT FINALLY ADDED THE LAST LOAD AND FLEW OFF AGAIN. AGAIN, I MOVED IN FAST AND TOOK OFF THE NEWLY APPLIED MUD. I WAS REALLY CURIOUS NOW ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD DO WHEN IT CAME BACK. I DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG. THE POOR DAUBER RETURNED, SAW THAT THE MUD WAS GONE AGAIN, AND MADE A WISE DECISION. SHE DROPPED THE BALL OF MUD AND FLEW AWAY. ALTHOUGH I WAITED A LONG TIME, SHE NEVER CAME BACK.

I CRAWLED OUT FROM UNDER THE SHED AND WENT ON HOME. I DIDN'T TELL ANYBODY WHAT I DID THAT DAY, BUT I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON THAT DAY FROM A LITTLE WASP. WHEN YOU SEE YOU AREN'T GETTING ANYWHERE DESPITE YOUR BEST EFFORTS, JUST CUT YOUR LOSSES, AND MOVE ON.

WRITTEN BY: LONNIE E. BROWN

FROM HIS BOOK "STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE"

THIS ONE IS TITLED "NATURE STUDY"

0217/2022

COURTESY OF THE LOCAL LIBRARY WHERE I RENT BOOKS TO READ.

HOPE ALL OF YOU ENJOY IT AS WELL.