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Studying wasp nests to put an age on art

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>Scientists believe well-known pre-historic rock paintings in Western Australia are younger than previously thought after dating the remnants of mud wasp nests found over and beneath them.</p> <p>The study, which is described in a <a rel="noopener" href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/6/eaay3922" target="_blank">paper</a> in the journal Science Advances, is one of few in recent decades, they say, to successfully use the novel and challenging <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/how-mud-wasp-nests-help-delve-our-countrys-past" target="_blank">approach</a>.</p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.kimberleyfoundation.org.au/kimberley-rock-art/rock-art-sequence/gwionbradshaw-period/" target="_blank">Gwion</a> paintings of the Kimberley region have been notoriously hard to date, but evidence has suggested they were painted as far back as 17,000 years ago and over the span of several thousand years, pointing to a remarkably long-lived artistic tradition. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now a team led by Damien Finch from the University of Melbourne, with input from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, has presented its findings suggesting they were more likely painted during a narrow timeframe, about 12,400 years ago. </span></p> <p>To do this, they used radiocarbon dating, which can determine how long ago living material died.</p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Working with the traditional owners of the Aboriginal sites, they analysed the nests of wasps that build mud nests on rock walls, sometimes incorporating charcoal from regular local brushfires. </span></p> <p>By dating the charcoal in the nests, they estimated when the nests were built. By dating nests that had been painted over, they determined the maximum age of the artwork. By dating nests on top of paintings, they found minimum ages.</p> <p>The possible age ranges of 19 of the 21 paintings studied overlap during a brief period between 12,000 and 13,000 years ago.</p> <p>Two samples fall outside of that range. One, which was found under a painting but dated at only 6,900 years old, is thought to be unreliable and possibly contaminated.</p> <p>However, the second was found over a painting and more reliably estimated to be 16,600 years old, complicating the findings. Finch and colleagues suggest more nest samples need to be identified and dated to get a clearer picture.</p> <p>Nevertheless, the results “confirm that rock art was being produced in the Kimberley during the terminal Pleistocene”, they write in their paper.</p> <p>“Notably, as the Gwion paintings are not the oldest in the relative stylistic sequence for this area, earlier styles must have an even greater antiquity.”</p> <p>Originally referred to as Bradshaw paintings, the Gwions are feature finely painted human figures in elaborate ceremonial dress, including long headdresses, and accompanied by material culture including boomerangs and spears.</p> <em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/studying-wasp-nests-to-put-an-age-on-art/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Nick Carne. </em></p> </div> </div>

Art

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Woman shares terrifying snaps of wasp infestation

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/woman-shares-terrifying-wasp-infestation-online-neighbours-suggest-fire-and-deodorant/news-story/43d4f645a532185d12291ca0b642867e" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NSW woman</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has taken to social media searching for help to deal with a terrifying wasp infestation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Posting in a local Facebook group, the woman asked for advice on how to remove the colony of buzzing insects from her window sills.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“How do I get rid of wasps?” she wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“An exterminator?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Help”.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 382.0598006644518px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845587/capture.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bbdb0324e3ca4cb285ea8ec763360e75" /></p> <p><em>Image: Facebook</em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Locals were quick to provide advice, including several more unconventional ways of dealing with the situation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Deodorant and lighter usually does the trick,” one person wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Wait till dark, get a sheet of newspaper, roll it up nice and long and burn them,” another commented.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Lots of dishwasher liquid and water in a spray bottle and spray it into the hose,” a third said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several other members also suggested various bug sprays and repellents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the woman revealed that those solutions wouldn’t quite work.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Thank you everyone,” she wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I am cautious to spray them myself as I have a slight reaction to bees/wasps and they’re also up on the second floor window, which makes it tricky.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But I’ll see if I can get someone to help.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After this revelation, another member of the group called her out and urged her to leave the wasps alone.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If they are on a second-floor window &amp; not worrying anyone hanging about the window ledge - why would you kill them??” the person asked.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Because they’re coming into my shed, where I park and I’m allergic and have a child,” the woman countered.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the woman has yet to share an update on the wasp removal, she has plenty of options to consider.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Facebook</span></em></p>

Home & Garden

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Mum’s warning after daughter stung by wasp: “Check your laundry”

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A mum has taken to social media with a warning to parents after her daughter was stung by a wasp caught in her clothes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having hung her daughter Kathleen’s clothes out to dry, Sabrina Rigby said the insect must have climbed in and subsequently stung the six-year-old.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“WARNING. Check your laundry!” she wrote in a Facebook post. In the post, she said that she’d hung her daughter’s clothes on the line to dry the day before.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This queen wasp has emerged from hibernation and gotten caught up in the clothes,” she recounted. “The clothes which I then bagged and left in the girls room to be packed away.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I didn’t know she was there until this morning, when she managed to wriggle her way out of the bag and sting Kathleen,” the mum said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She is okay and luckily, it turns out, not allergic like I am. But you can bet I’ll be checking  all my laundry from now on!” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Commenters were thankful for the advice and shared their appreciation for the mum sharing her story.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Now peering inside my slippers before I put my feet in!!” one woman wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I got one in my sons pjs last week when I was folding them,” another shared.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Concerned about her daughter, others warned the mum to keep an eye on her in case she actually is allergic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You don’t tend to react badly to a first exposure, it is subsequent exposures that she’ll react to if she’s allergic,” one mum advised. “Keep a close eye if she gets stung again in the future.” </span></p> <p><strong>Image credit: Sharina Rigby / Facebook </strong></p>

Caring

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How to handle a wasp infestation

<p>Wasps are common in all regions across Australia. They build nests on buildings away from direct sunlight and cause a lot of damage in the process. While most homeowners might ignore wasps, it is important to appreciate the risk they pose to your home’s occupants and the structure itself.</p> <p>They have an extremely painful sting which contains histamine. This chemical can cause allergic reactions in some people leading to health complications such as anaphylaxis or death. Stings from bees and wasps caused 12,351 admissions and 27 fatalities in Australia. It is for these reasons that you should learn more about <span><a href="https://www.dawsonspest.com.au/pest-library/bees-wasps">wasp nest removal</a></span>.</p> <p>This article highlights a few safe techniques of nest removal from your home or business structure. Read on.</p> <p><strong>Identify a wasp infestation</strong></p> <p>It is easy to find out if your home has a wasp infestation but finding a wasp is another matter altogether. These insects try to hide their nests away from sight where they can live undisturbed. You can check under an overhang where wasps stay away from the rain. They can also build under an awning, wood deck, soffit, railing or large tree branch in your compound.</p> <p>If you have noted wasps buzzing around your compound, it is important to call a licensed pest removal technician who has the skills and equipment to do the job.</p> <p><strong>Stay away from a wasp nest</strong></p> <p>If you happen to notice a wasp nest, it is advisable to stay away from it and remove your pets from the area. Many homeowners have ended up in emergency rooms while trying to locate wasp nests and remove them. It is important to note that wasps won’t attack unless they feel threatened.</p> <p>If you agitate them when trying to remove the nest, you will end up badly hurt or worse. To make matters worse, wasps release chemicals that attract others nearby and this can lead to a fatal situation especially if you have kids around.</p> <p>Once you identify a wasp nest, call a licensed wasp nest removal technician who has the prerequisite skills and equipment to do the job safely.</p> <p><strong>Professional wasp removal</strong></p> <p>The best thing about professional nest removal is that the pest control company knows how to handle the situation. They have experience dealing with different wasps in the area and will know which techniques to use. Without such skills, you might end up making things worse and injuring yourself.</p> <p>The nest removal process begins with a thorough inspection of your property, starting with the area where you spotted the nest. The pest control technicians wear protective gear to avoid injuries, and they use eco-friendly chemicals to eliminate the infestation and remove the wasp nest.</p> <p>When dealing with wasps, you need to appreciate that nest removal is not enough, hence the use of pesticides to get rid of the infestation. The best pest control service carries insurance for your protection and protection of their workers and you will enjoy peace of mind when they work.</p> <p><em><span>Written by Handyman Authors. Republished with permission of </span></em><span><a href="http://www.handyman.net.au/nest-no-more-how-handle-wasp-infestation"><em>Handyman</em></a><em>.</em></span></p>

Home & Garden

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The secret ingredient in figs will make your stomach churn

<p>Plump, soft and sweet, figs are delicious in salads, desserts or simply as a dish on their own. This low calorie superfood is also packed full of vitamins and nutritional benefits.  </p> <p>But are you aware of the secret ingredient in each fig?</p> <p>Well, the next time you’re munching on a fig, be aware that at the same time you’re probably munching on a wasp as well. There’s at least one dead wasp in every fig.</p> <p>The best way to understand this is by looking at the pollination of figs. There are two types of figs – inedible males ones and the female ones which we eat. Female figs need the pollen that’s found in their male counterparts to create seeds and reproduce.</p> <p>That’s where the wasps step in.</p> <p>A special breed of female wasp crawls through a hole in the figs that is so narrow that she loses her wings in the process and becomes trapped. If the fig happens to be a male, she lays her eggs inside.</p> <p>Science writer Luis Villazon says, “These hatch into larvae that burrow out, turn into wasps and fly off, carrying fig pollen with them. If the wasp climbs into a female fig, she pollinates it, but cannot lay her eggs and just dies alone. Luckily for us, the female fig produces an enzyme that digests this wasp completely. The crunchy bits are seeds, not wasp parts.”</p> <p>So there you have it, there’s a wasp in every fig! Were you aware of this? What’s your favourite dish that involves figs? Let us know in the comments section below. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/09/honey-poached-pears-with-oat-almond-and-banana-pancakes/"><strong>Honey poached pears with oat, almond and banana pancakes</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/09/coconut-cake/"><strong>Coconut cake</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/08/overnight-wholegrain-oats-date-fig/"><strong>Overnight wholegrain oats with date and fig puree</strong></a></em></span></p>

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