Good to know!

Our last 'bug of the month' features the yellowjacket. Yellowjacket wasps live in paper nests that they build using a mixture of plant material and saliva. These nests may be above or below ground. A fertilized queen that has overwintered builds a new nest each spring. It contains only few wasps at first but, as the colony grows, it may contain several thousand mature larvae and workers.

During the summer months, yellowjackets eat both animal and plant material. Early in the summer they capture other insects and scavenged materials to eat and to feed the developing larvae in the nest. Ever notice that they seem to love pizza and soft drinks? Later in the season, they prefer rotting fruit. Sometimes you can see lots of them buzzing around fallen and squashed crab apples on the ground. It's not hard to believe that wasps feeding on fermenting fruit fly around like they're drunk! Towards the end of summer, large numbers of yellowjackets will be out looking for food, especially on warm, sunny afternoons.

When the outside temperatures really begin drop in late-September, the queen will leave the nest and find a warm, protected place to overwinter, usually under a rotten log. All other members of the colony die over the winter, and only the queen is left to begin the process again the following April or May.

If you find a nest in or around your home, and its location is not making the wasps a particular nuisance, just leave it alone until winter comes. After the queen has left and the workers have died off, the nest can be safely and easily removed. Remember that wasps usually only sting when they are provoked. Having wasps around your home and garden can actually be an excellent way to naturally control pests. A single wasp can remove a hundred or more insects an hour from your home or garden!

Be careful! Yellowjacket wasps sting people in defense. A wasp can sting multiple times. Reaction to a wasp sting varies from mild to severe, depending upon an individual's sensitivity to the wasp venom. Application of a cold compress may help to relieve the burning sensation associated with a sting. Antihistamines can also help to reduce the severity of the symptoms (burning, pain, swelling, or itching). If the reaction to a sting is rapid and severe or if someone has been repeatedly stung, get medical attention immediately.