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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] yellowjackets

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  • From: mangodance <bmn@iglou.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] yellowjackets
  • Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 12:08:06 -0500

road's end farm wrote:
In my experience yellow jackets aren't aggressive at all unless you start swatting them or disturb the nest. We have a lot of them, and I've never been stung except as a result of accidentally halfsquashing one or messing up a nest, and neither have other people here. I think they get their reputation for aggressiveness from people who start swatting at them first.

Most of the yellowjacket species folks may run across are predators (with a little scavenging) preferring juicy meals like caterpillars. What happens though, is that the hive goes into breakdown in late summer when the queens leave. The rest of the colony goes a little nuts and that's when they turn mostly to scavenging. You'll see them come to coke cans, picnics, etc. At this time, they are quite a bit more agressive and that's when folks usually get stung. Keep in mind though, they can sting and bite repeatedly (unlike the one-time sting of a honeybee).







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