Wasp help!

[UnleashedPanthera]

So recently I rescued a wasp that was almost drowning in my fish water. What I'm really concerned about this is that it's not flying or walking. It's doing something weird with its legs. It's like rubbing it's legs against it's body. It's been doing this for the past 10-15 minutes and I'm getting really concerned.



Any wasp experts that could perhaps suggest what's going on?

[LPC]

Welcome to the forum. I'm not a wasp expert and I'm afraid that I don't know one, either. However, since you posted this thread quite a few hours ago when many of us were asleep (your IP address suggests that you live in Australia), no doubt the situation is resolved one way or the other by now. Did the wasp survive? My guess would be that it was drying its legs and wings so that it could fly again.

[Lurcher]

Yes I think that's right. The other day I saw something moving in our dogs bowl and it was a half drowned spider. Scooped it out on a stick of rhubarb (it was the first thing I could see that was handy!) and popped it on the windowsill. It was looking absolutely drenched and all the legs were stuck together. However, from rescuing numerous flies and bugs from water over the years I know that even though they look dead, once they have dried out and got their energy back they usually make a full recovery. Spider was gone in a few hours :)

[Tobi]

I know I'm a bit late on this thread! But that is okay. The wasp is just drying itself off. It might do that for a little while, and the more humid the weather, the longer it will do it. It also might buzz and vibrate its wings. It knows what it is doing, it's trying to dry out.

A bee fell into the bowl of water I put out for thirsty dogs who pass by my house this morning. I fished it out and it did the same thing. It must have been exhausted because it guzzled some nectar from a forget-me-not even before it was properly dry!