#nesting

[preserving-tiktok]

[ohclaire]

Just because you’re an omega doesn’t mean you can’t perform at the level of the rest of the 141.

You, and various other omegas, have proven this time and time again. It was a battle to let omegas into the military, but now that you’re here it’s clear you have a lot to offer.

That doesn’t mean things aren’t different, though. Of course, every new person is going to do things slightly differently or need certain accommodations. In the way that some alphas can’t be on the same team because they’ll clash too much, or how rut leave needs to be approved. Same thing for omegas.

For you…whenever you land in a new place, you needed a moment to familiarize yourself, and if you needed to stay for a while…well you’d need a makeshift nest.

All omegas rely on nesting for regulation. Not just for themselves but also their pack. Some rely on it more than others, though.

You’re one such omega…someone who needs a nest. It was something you considered when joining the military, and something you’ve often had to suppress in yourself for the sake of the mission. It got to the point where you needed to get on scent suppressants because you’d be on mission without a nest and distress so much that the enemy could smell you.

That’s how the first mission with the 141 went. Suppressing your needs and distressing because of it, but holding it together for the mission (or trying to).

But of course they noticed. They notice everything. So they broached the topic.

“…you can nest, ‘mega.” Kyle decided to just go for it.

You stopped your pacing in front of the window of the safe house, arms folded across your chest. You turn your head to look at him to find him just…looking at you. Like he was serious. A quick glance at the others tell you no one was making a joke.

“…really?” Your arms unfold, body turning to face them completely. Still looking back and forth between them all, waiting for one of them to tell you they were kidding.

“‘Course you can. We’ll be holed up here for a few more hours. You can use our jackets.” Price verifies, tossing a hand behind him to indicate to where you all threw your jackets down. He turns back to the notebook he’s scribbling in like it’s no big deal.

You eagerly take a step forward before stopping yourself. Is this a test? Is he trying to see if you’re a liability? Omegas obviously calm down in nests and some people are of the opinion it would make them vulnerable in the field…maybe he’s trying to see if you’ll crack?

“You…don’t think it’s unprofessional?”

Price’s brows furrow and his nose scrunches up like he just smelled something bad, “what’re you on about? ‘S natural.”

“Bug, did someone tell ya you couldn’t nest in the field?” Soap leans forward, forearms resting in his knees. He caught on immediately.

“I—“ you’re confused now, “I thought…that was protocol?”

That gets everyone to look at you. It’s silent for a moment before they all start talking at once, overlapping voices talking about how that was not true and omegas need to nest and the scent you’ll release during the nesting will make them all more alert.

“What dumb fuck told you that?” Ghost speaks up.

It shuts everyone up. They want to know too.

“My old captain…” you meekly admit.

They don’t respond again. You see Price’s jaw tick like he’s offended at how your previous captain conducted himself.

“Use the jackets.” Simon shuts down the conversation. “You can relax. We got you.” He leaves no room for argument.

You believe him…that they’d protect you if it came down to it.

So you resume your walk to the pile, feeling a bit confused still about why your two captains were so different. And a bit bad about commandeering everyone’s jackets. It was…intimate…to make a nest from their scents. Especially considering this was your first mission together. But you didn’t exactly have any other material, and you suppose you’ll need to familiarize yourself with them eventually. So you get to work.

Again…there isn’t much to work with, but you end up shoving the jackets together on the rickety sofa along with a pillow you scrounged up and one of the threadbare blankets from a long-abandoned linen closet. It’s…not good but it’s something. And even just the act of putting a nest together is soothing you. And…you do like their scents. 

“Good job, ‘mega.” Comes Simon’s low tone, meant just for you.

You suppress a smile and happy hum. That shouldn’t make you as satisfied as it does—him complimenting your fucked up, makeshift nest that is objectively the worst nest you’ve ever made—but it does.

You relax fast. Calm, happy scent flooding the room, making the rest of the pack team more calm and alert too.

When it’s time to go, they bring you out of your trance gently. Kyle crouching down next to you and whispering your name, giving your shoulder a little shake. You pack up quick, giving everyone’s jackets back. They try to be subtle about how they inhale your scent off of them.

You finish the rest of the mission like normal, but not before Price asks for the name of your old captain.

You’re used to it now, and so are they. Any mission where you’re out on the field for an extended period, you’ll nest with whatever you can get your hands on. More often than not, that involves a lot of their clothes. It’s far better than ignoring your instincts, and you know that they’re capable enough to mean you aren’t a liability. Maybe you can convince one of them to nest with you next time…

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Shell-Nesting Mason Bees: these bees build their nests in empty snail shells, using crushed leaves and soil to form the inner brood chambers and then sealing the entrance with debris

Above: the photo at the top shows a mason bee building its nest, while the illustration at the bottom shows the nest's internal structure

Bees of the family Megachilidae typically build their nests in the gaps and crevices in tree stumps, rocks, plant stems, and wooden structures, but there are a few species that prefer to nest in discarded snail shells. Most of these shell-nesting bees are found in Europe, North Africa, and the Near East; a few can also be found in North America, South Africa, and Japan.

Above: just some cozy little mason bees, Hoplitis zandeni and Osmia rufohirta

These are solitary bees, meaning that they don't form colonies or live together in hives, so each female builds her own individual nest. The nest is constructed as a series of brood cells, and each cell contains a single egg with enough pollen and nectar to sustain the larva until it reaches adulthood.

Shell-nesting mason bees are known to exist in at least five different genera, including Osmia, Hoplitis, Rhodanthidium, Wainia, and Protosmia.

Above: Osmia spinulosa and Rhodanthidium septemdentatum

When the female is ready to nest, she carefully selects a shell and then drags it into a shaded or well-hidden spot. Moving the shell is no easy feat, but she clings to it with her hind legs and pulls herself along by grabbing objects with her mandibles. A single bee may travel like that for several meters before finally settling on the right spot to prepare her nest.

Above: Osmia rufohirta dragging her shell into position

This article describes how the nest is then constructed:

The bee begins to build its nest, mainly within the “whorl” or spire of the shell. A typical nest consists of a few chambers (about two or four in number, depending on the size of the shell) known as cells, the walls of which consist of masticated leaf pulp known as leaf mastic. When fresh, the colour of this material is bright green, but with time, it assumes a brownish or black colour. Each cell is provisioned with a mixture of pollen and nectar, an egg is laid on this, and the cell sealed with further leaf mastic.

Above: two nests with their internal structures partially exposed, revealing the brood cells, larvae, pollen, nectar, and several layers of debris

The layout of the nest varies depending on the species, with some bees producing brood cells that are arranged into rows, while others create clustered or overlapping cells.

Above: the nest of a gold-fringed mason bee, Osmia aurulenta

The female must make dozens of trips just to gather the provisions for a single brood cell, and completing the entire nest can take days.

Once the brood chambers have been constructed and provisioned, the entrance to the shell is "bricked up" with several layers of plant pulp, soil, pebbles, and shell fragments. In some cases, the female will also apply patches of plant pulp to the outer surface of the shell as a way to provide camouflage.

Above: Oamia bicolor and Osmia aurulenta sealing their nests with plant pulp

The completed nest is then carefully maneuvered so that the entrance faces the ground. Some females will conceal the nest beneath a pile of twigs, pine needles, and plant stems, weaving moss and blades of grass throughout the pile. All of the debris is carefully selected, positioned, and then "glued" together with saliva, forming a tangled, tent-like structure over the nest.

Above: Osmia bicolor, commonly known as the red-tailed mason bee. constructing a protective thatch over her nest

In other cases, the female will conceal the nest by creating a small hole in the sand and then dragging the shell into it, ensuring that the nest is partially buried.

Above: Osmia aurulenta and Osmia rufohirta

This is just one of the many peculiar nesting habits that can be found among solitary bees. Several other examples have been featured in my previous posts, which describe the nest-building strategies of woolcarder bees, resin-pot bees, and a ground-dwelling species known as Osmia avosetta.

Above: the fully-constructed nest of a gold-fringed mason bee

Sources & More Info:

Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society: Shell-Nesting Bees

The Little Book of Bees: Snail-Nesting Mason Bees

University of Hradec Králové: Bees Nesting in Empty Gastropod Shells

Bees of the World: Snail Shells

The Wildlife Trusts: Red-Tailed Mason Bees

Insects: Nesting Preferences of Osmia orientalis

Journal of Hymenoptera Research: Comparative Biology of Four Rhodanthidium Species that Nest in Snail Shells

Journal of Hymenoptera Research: Biology of Palaearctic Wainia Bees of the Subgenus Caposmia

Cambridge University Press: The Native Shell-Nesting Bee Osmia conjuncta

Zootaxa: Palaearctic Osmia Bees of the Subgenera Hemiosmia, Tergosmia and Erythrosmia

Wired: Adorable Bees that Live Inside Snail Shells

[rue-x3]

Svsss omegaverse disciple era au thingy

Svsss omegaverse au where Shen Yuan is transmigrated into svsss and the omegaverse customs there aren't as developed as the omegaverse customs Shen Yuan lived with. Like of course a bigger sect like CQM is more developed in their systems but like, it still can't really compare to Shen Yuan's original life.

Like imagine slightly older Qian Cao peak disciple SY helping coax younger disciples that are just presenting. Like there's a communal nest or whatever and then there's like Shen Yuan's little sub-branch of a nest for the younger sect member that don't quite understand what to do yet. Big brother SY that slightly teeters into mama-yuan ever so often.

Think about it, think about it. Qi deviating disciple Shen Jiu lashing out at everyone around him because the scents are so overwhelming and he passes out. They take him to the medical ward and when Shen Jiu wakes up he's just stunned because he sees this pretty shixiong looking down at him with concerned eyes. (Shen Yuan doesn't recognize SJ as SQQ)

Shen Yuan sees this thin feral child and his br(m)otherly instincts just go haywire, his voice softens unconsciously and he's running his fingers through Shen Jiu's hair--his nails brushing against his scalp.

"You poor thing,"

Shen Yuan's voice took on the same kind of tone his mother had used with him back when he'd (Shen Yuan) just presented. Shen Jiu's attention narrowed on that voice, a confused whine dying out in his chest as he willed his instincts away. He wouldn't show any weakness--couldn't--but whatever this person was doing made him want to relax even if just a little bit.

Shen Yuan's free hand found its way to Shen Jiu's eyes, covering them as he began to speak again. It was a technique Shen Yuan had gotten from his mother. When Shen Yuan felt overwhelmed with things, his mother would cover his eyes and have him count backwards from 100, the repetitive nature of the task would help him clear his mind. He wasn't sure if counting backwards would help with the scent overload though. It seemed like covering his eyes was working though.

And work it did. Shen Jiu's mind was quiet for the first time in a long time. The slightly milky scent that clung to the nest was one that didn't make him feel suffocated. The cool feel of the other's palm against his skin made him go lax, quieting the millions of questions running through his mind until there was a manageable amount left.

Quietly--near inaudibly--the soft sounds of purring could be heard. Shen Jiu didn't realize it was coming from him until he heard the other male let out a slight laugh. It was like a switch was flipped. Shen jiu sat up, pushing Shen Yuan away as his face flushed in shame(?) embarrassment(?) Shen Jiu himself didn't know.

--

Then Shen Jiu leaves like the feral child he is and he's so confused on what the hell that was--and why he got so comfortable with a MAN. (or well, a boy but like it's all the same in Shen Jiu's eyes) At first he avoids SY like the plague but eventually with a lot of time and a ton of steps backwards, SJ's able to consider SY's communal nest--or just Sy's nest in general--a safe space.

(Idk what this was I lost the plot)

[kedreeva]

Corona has been scraping the last 2 days, and I think she'll be laying tonight. I added the "nest logs" to the pen and she went right into nest mode in all of the nesting sites but she seems to like this one best, so fingers crossed.

I was going to wait until tomorrow to set up nest sites, because Gemini was still in time out over Horny Crimes (beating up the hens too young to breed), but he got out on good behavior (and so I could make nests) when I saw Corona this morning. She was big time doing nesting pacing and trying to get to her preferred nesting area (inside bird jail). So far Gem is behaving again.

Everyone got calcium slurry wet feed today, which is where I take ground commercial oyster shell in a bowl, pour water into it and mix it around until the water is white, and then use that water to make wet food. They'll eat that more easily than the chunks (though they'll eat those too), and it's a bit easier to process.

I'm about to re-check her now that Bug's in bed, I'm very excited!

[melodeelaine]

Tree Swallow Nestlings - Northern USA

[couturebeuvoir]

The Wayne family does sleepovers in each others rooms

It started when Jason was killed. Bruce had ferocious nightmares, Dick couldn’t sleep. Dick was pacing around the Wayne manor a little past 1am after patrol, rubbing his eyes and stumbling a little through his insomnia. A crack in Bruce’s bedroom door, a chilling scream. Dicks eyelids rose up from the floor and his tired stance turned into a run, near ripping the door open in two.

When he opened the door, his mind turned to the worst. Bruce had had a rough childhood, Dick knew that. He never coped with loss well. Witnessing a civilian death always weighed on him, holding a body in his arms and carefully resting their dead eyes closed. Bruce had tried to find relief in religion but could never grasp it. When Jason had first died he hadn’t spoken for days. Wouldn’t look anyone in the eye. Dick thought he might have given up.

Only he found his father, every inch of him, tied up in his sheets and pillows, sobbing. A full body kind of weep; one that ties every muscle and nerve into pain in a fetal position that holds so long veins jolt out from below the skin. Fiery red patches illuminated discomfort as it seemed Bruce punished himself for his late son’s pain. Dick just stood there for a few moments, taking the sight of his fathers vulnerability in like he had never shown before. It was a few more moments before Bruce noticed him, heaving the heavy breathing that went from himself. He was stunned, recoiling in the fixation on the expression he deemed as broken. His face was fifty shades of tomato with wet tears still ordaining his white sheets, impurity staining the silk.

Dick dropped his eyes. His posture turned untensed, and he took a few steps toward the bed. Bruce sat up and clutched his teary pillow, almost as if a shield. But nothing could block both the men from the gallows of grief that struck them so. Dick crawled onto Bruce’s bed.

“I miss him”

“I know bud”

A small exchange of mutual sadness, and Dick collapsed in Bruce’s arms. Bruce cried while stroking his hair the same way he did to Jason so he’d fall asleep, not knowing every affection was fickle and fleeting. Dick sobbed into Bruce’s chest and the pillow softened the sharp cries from the both of them.

They ended up sleeping in Bruce’s room that night. And for many more after that, and sometimes after patrol.

Eventually Jason came back and Bruce’s nightmares did too. Except he kept dreaming about losing Jason, right in his arms. Dick would stand in Jason’s doorway and watch him sleep sometimes, Bruce would check if he was still breathing.

Jason got sick of it. He understood and wanted to assure everyone that he was there, alive and okay. He missed them too. So one day he planted himself in a living room and pulled up some blankets, slept on the couch. Bruce was the first to pull up another blanket and slept right next to him, sitting up. Jason with a head on his thigh. Dick cozied up next, head on Bruce’s shoulder. Damian and Duke got back from patrol and were too tired to ask. Ended up on a couple futons they pulled from a closet at Bruce’s feet, Tim followed too after hearing the commotion of setting them up. He couldn’t find more bedding and asked Steph, so they both joined too.

This is now a weekly tradition. Sometimes the living room, sometimes Bruce’s bedroom. After an empty manor for so long, Bruce doesn’t mind such close quarters. He has a family again