Paper Wasps

Above: The sunflowers have topped out at about 14' (4.25 meters). To see more of these sunflower photos go to Phillip's Natural World III. They took a huge amount of water and care to reach this height during extreme drought conditions. The next crop will likely have to wait for rain. With sun angles now surpassing 75° it is impossible to keep the plants wet enough for them to thrive (90° = sun directly overhead at solar noon; our maximum sun angle will be approximately 84° starting June 20).



One species that is thriving in the hot/dry conditions is the Paper Wasp (Genus Polistes). Pictured above and below. . .I've found that they are particularly fond of palmettos and are nesting thereon. An accidental brush against their nest results in a painful sting.

While usually non-aggressive, they possess a lance-like stinger and will readily sting if they feel threatened or are provoked. If stung vinegar is a sometimes-helpful remedy for the pain.

While I don't believe in killing them -- wasps are beneficial in their natural habitat -- I have been known to relocate their nests. . . that is take a broom and knock down the nest then run like crazy to a sheltered location. They'll move on. They also nest all over the houses in the eaves and anywhere protected from rain.



Below: Even this Great Egret (Ardea alba) looks hot today.



Below: Its hard to believe a record flood is occurring on the Mississippi River while we bake here in Florida. The scientists at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center are saying that the long, hot dry may be over for us soon as evidenced by the map below. They show improvement in our severe drought conditions coming soon (by late July).



The drought relief is not in sight for us this week. Temperatures are forecast to approach 100°F. (37° C.) by Thursday with little to no chance of rain.

Meanwhile the Mississippi River continues to wreak havoc as the river's highest flood crest in history pushes southwards past Memphis, Tennessee today. The river crested at its highest height on record over the past four days along a 70-mile stretch from New Madrid, Missouri to Tiptonville, Tennessee, to Caruthersville, Missouri, smashing records that had stood since the great flood of 1937.



Above: The flood waters of the Obion River and the Mississippi River in Northwest Tennessee. The small community of Botata in Dyer County is only one of many that is now a disaster area.

The flood height of 47.6' at Caruthersville, Missouri, on Saturday was a full 1.6 feet above the previous record flood height, set in 1937. Currently, the Mississippi is expected to reach its 2nd highest level on record at Memphis later today, cresting at 48.0'. The all-time record at Memphis occurred during the great flood of 1937, when the river hit 48.7'. Downstream from Memphis, flood waters pouring in from the Arkansas River, Yazoo River, and other tributaries are expected to swell the Mississippi high enough to beat the all-time record at Vicksburg, Mississippi by 1.3' on May 19, and smash the all-time record at Natchez, Mississippi by six feet on May 21.

To see my photos of the glass lizards who are struggling to survive the heat go to Phillip's Natural World II