Honeybees And Wasps Crash Landing On The Water

Occurred on August 8, 2019 / Dohr, Germany

Info from Licensor: "Lothar Lenz and the life of wasps and honeybees - A summer in the Eifel
My home is in the middle of the idyllic Eifel, surrounded by forests, meadows and fields. My name is Lothar Lenz, and I am a nature and wildlife filmmaker. My garden is more than just a place to relax - it is a small refuge for nature, lovingly designed to be close to nature, with wild flowers, shrubs and small biotopes. Countless species of insects can be found here, and every year I am treated to a fascinating spectacle: the life and activity of social wasps.
I have been filming the wasps in my garden for many years, especially the German wasp (Vespula germanica). With my camera, especially in slow motion, I capture their movements, observe their behavior and discover new details that often go unnoticed with the naked eye. The images open up a whole new perspective on these highly evolved insects - and yes, also on their comical misadventures.

A garden full of life
My garden is designed in such a way that it offers many incentives for insects. One of my most important features is the feeding stations where I put out a sugary liquid. This source of energy magically attracts the wasps - a busy coming and going, a constant flying in and out fills the air.
Wasps, including the German wasp, are extremely skillful fliers. Their wings beat up to 230 times per second, enabling them to perform impressive flight maneuvers. They can stop abruptly, fly backwards and navigate precisely even in strong winds. But as is so often the case in nature, perfection is not always a given - and that's what makes it so exciting!
With my camera in position, I was able to observe how the wasps and honeybees sometimes perform daring crashes when landing. Small “accidents” often happen, especially when approaching the feeding sites. Some wasps land almost unchecked on the surface of the liquid and stumble, others collide with their fellow wasps in a hurry. It even happens that a wasp rolls over when it is accidentally rammed by another. Such scenes are not only proof of the vitality of these insects, they also reveal a humorous side to wasp life.

The art of slow motion
The details of these hectic movements would be almost impossible to see with the naked eye. That's why I work with a special slow-motion camera that captures hundreds of images per second. Slow motion is a technique that is not only aesthetically impressive, but also has scientific value. It makes it possible to analyze the behavior of wasps down to the smallest detail.
With a recording that lasts less than a second in real time, I can later understand every movement down to the smallest detail: How the wasp adjusts its wings for landing, stretches out its legs to hold on, and how it laboriously stands up again after a fall. The slow-motion images make it clear how robust and adaptable these animals are - and how dynamic their lives are.

The German wasp - a fascinating inhabitant of the garden
The German wasp (Vespula germanica) is one of the best-known social wasp species in Central Europe. It builds its nests from a papery mass made from chewed wood fibers and saliva. These nests can reach impressive dimensions and often house thousands of workers in their peak phase.
Despite their reputation as “pests”, German wasps are extremely useful. While they themselves feed mainly on sweet plant juices and nectar, they carry animal prey, such as flies or other insects, to their nest. This protein food is intended for the larvae, which could not grow without this source of protein. By hunting other insects, wasps play an important role in the ecosystem - they regulate populations and contribute to the natural balance.

A summer full of discoveries
My goal this summer was to capture the humorous and impressive moments at the feeding stations. After days of planning and many hours of waiting at the camera, I finally got the perfect shots. The videos show the wasps in their natural behavior: their busy flight traffic, their elegant but often clumsy landings, and even the interactions between the individual animals.
Particularly impressive was a scene in which a wasp landed almost unchecked on the surface of the liquid and bumped into a second wasp. Both staggered briefly before picking themselves up again and continuing their activities. Seen in slow motion, this situation looks like a perfectly choreographed little drama - with chaos as the leading actor.

Beauty in miniature
By working with the camera, I have learned not only to observe the wasps and their behavior, but also to understand them. They are not aggressive intruders, as they are often perceived, but fascinating creatures with complex behaviors. Every minute I spend with them teaches me more about their world - and how important it is to respect even the smallest creatures.
My films are intended to help share this view. They show the beauty in the details that we often overlook and invite us to see nature with new eyes. Perhaps the German wasps and their turbulent landings will succeed in dispelling one or two prejudices and awaken more admiration for nature's little actors.
After all, it is these moments that remind us how much life and dynamism there is in the world around us - if only we look closely enough."