The Daily Bucket is a place where we post and exchange our observations about what is happening in the natural world in our neighborhood. Birds, blooms, bugs - each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
Gooseville, WI
I got nailed, twice, on the outside corner of my left eye by a yellowjacket wasp. I was minding my own business sipping a cold glass of lemonade, enjoying the shade of the deck while watching the orioles fight off the hords of yellowjackets enveloping their feeders.
Poor birds. Land on the perch. Beat a wing to drive the swarm aside. Grab a little sugar water. Peck and strike out. Quick sip. Flap wings. Sip. Escape to nearby branch. Repeat.
Never swat at a yellowjacket flying near you—simply walk away. Avoid squashing a yellowjacket as an alarm pheromone is released, which alerts other yellowjackets to its location. However, if you’ve disturbed an entire nest, protect your face and run! Fact sheet.
I swatted.
I stood my ground.
I squashed.
I got nailed by another.
Then I ran.
Face of a yellowjacket queen (Vespula squamosa)
Typical underground nest in spring, summer and fall.
The term 'yellowjacket' refers to a number of different species of social wasps in the genera
Vespula and
Dolichovespula (family Vespidae). Included in this group of ground-nesting species are the western yellowjacket,
V. pensylvanica, which is the most commonly encountered species and is sometimes called the 'meat bee' and seven other species of
Vespula.
Most social wasps provide an extremely beneficial service by eliminating large numbers of pest insects through predation. They should be protected and encouraged to nest in areas away from human or animal activity. A colony can reach populations between 1,500-15,000 wasps and forage for food up to a quarter-mile from their nest. Unfortunately for them I'm a NIMBY, (not-in-my-backyard) when it comes to nests.
In early spring a single mated queen begins her colony. From spring to midsummer, nests are in the growth phase and the larvae require large amounts of protein. Workers forage mainly for protein at this time. By late summer the workers become scavengers as the colony grows more slowly or ceases to grow at all and requires large amounts of sugar to maintain the queen and themselves. In Wisconsin, the colony will die in winter.
This time of year my porch and deck becomes a little less comfortable or livable because I choose to hang my oriole and hummingbird feeders nearby. It's my choice. I'll live with it and an occassional sting.
Sometimes I forget about the other predators that stalk and snuffle about my yard. The other night a wandering skunk found the hidden wasp nest and dined in fashion. Today, I have fewer aggressive yellowjackets visiting my glass of lemonade. I'm also still smiling smuggly.
What's new in your yard or neighborhood? Got wasps? Got skunks?