North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>]

We have never seen the like of yellow jackets.  I take that back, once we 
did in the 1980's when we set the kids to killing queen wasps in the spring. 
They kept count and killed 600.  That year Mother Nature filled the vacuam 
with yellow jackets.  It is an experiment we will never repeat!  Anyway, the 
yellow jackets are so thick that I have been stung twice already, in July 
when they are not normally a problem.  The first time was on my right index 
finger, as I stood on a ladder cutting a branch from a hickory to try some 
summer budding.  The second time was dusk, one flew inside my shirt as I was 
walking along.  Picking blackberries has required examining each fruit from 
all sides before touching it.  We have discovered that MOST of them go to 
bed fairly early so we can pick blueberries.  I have seen two holes where 
skunks have dug out nests in the woods, but the remaining nests are surely 
growing by the day.
   We have never managed to make a yellow jacket trap that worked.  We 
bought one at Tractor Supply that has collected a total of 2 in a week.  Do 
you all have any suggestions?     Donna