Nature's Divebombers: Yellow Jackets!

I really love summer and fall. I particularly like late summer and fall for getting back into the swing of things. It is about one of the most satisfying times of the year to garden. The temperatures are moderating, everything is lush and full, harvest time is near, and after a long, often hot and humid summer, both plants as well as people are more energized. Unfortunately, so are a few small insects that strike big terror in people everywhere: Yellow Jackets!

Yellow Jackets are not totally invisible in the spring and summer. They are always around, during picnics, around trash, and around the yard in general. Normally, they will buzz around to see what is available to eat, but are not overly aggressive. But sometime between the middle of August and the first killing frost, something happens to their behavior. They become bolder, brasher, and ready to take on everyone and everything! If a psychiatrist could analyze insect behavior, he would say that these insects were displaying antisocial and psychotic tendencies!

As with anything, a little knowledge goes a long way to empowerment. As with anything in Nature, there is an explantation for everything, including the nasty nature of Yellow Jackets this time of the year. By understanding a bit more about this insect, we can apply that knowledge to help keep our loved ones, our pets, and ourselves relatively safe from becoming victims of this multiple-stinging relative of the honey bee.

There are actually several distinct species that we commonly call "Yellow Jackets". However, they all share the same characteristics, so without going into a lot of technical information, this discussion will go into the similarities all of them share. Although a relative of the honey bee, yellow jackets are wasps. They resemble the honey bee, but lack the hairs that are found on honey bees. They are also more shiny and blocky, and average about 1/2 inch in length. They are more distinct in pattern and are more brightly yellow and black, as opposed to the softened color patterns of honey bees. The fertile female emerges in spring. She is the equivalent of the Queen bee found in a honey bee hive, and is larger than the workers, about 3/4 inch in length. She feeds on sugars, and will first seek out a food source, then will go to work finding a suitable spot to build a nest. Depending upon the type of Hornet or Yellow Jacket, the nest can be found in the ground in abandoned rodent holes, and other choice places such as attics, under buildings, and in trees. Once the fertile female finds a suitable spot, the eggs for the first generation of sterile female workers are laid. The mother will seek out protein sources for this brood in the form of other wasps, caterpillars, insects, and spiders. After these larvae are raised and pupate into adults, the fertile female will direct her energies into producing more eggs and the workers will now take on these tasks of foraging for the larvae.

You may have seen Yellow Jackets swarming at a picnic site, chewing on the meat scraps. They are not eating the meat themselves, but rather are chewing it to feed the larvae, which require a rich protein source to develop. The adults and fertile female require carbohydrates and sugars as their food source. Interestingly, the larvae of certain common species of Yellow Jackets also provide the adults a valuable food source:  The larvae secrete a sweet substance that the adults eat. Now, this is key to understanding the late summer behavior of these insects:  As the season progresses, the types of larvae produced switch from workers to males and future fertile females. The larvae of the workers dwindle in numbers, and so does one of the carbohydrate sources, the larval secretions. The workers are now on a mission to seek out protein sources for the generation of males and reproductive females that will soon emerge and to find carbohydrate sources for the fertile female and themselves. The workers become more aggressive, their mission is to insure the successful emergence of the next reproductive generation of Yellow Jackets. This explains why they become more aggressive when seeking out food sources in the late summer to killing frost time.

In the fall, the reproductive females and males emerge. After mating, the males die, and the females seek out a sheltered spot to overwinter. The existing nest dies off, workers and fertile female alike. In the spring, the fertilized female emerges from her overwintering haven, and the cycle starts anew.

There are several things we can do to keep from becoming victims of the Yellow Jacket's painful, sometimes fatal stings:

1. Avoid wearing bright, hot colors and bright blues, such as turquoise.



2. Avoid wearing floral or highly patterned clothing.



3. Avoid wearing perfumes, colognes, aftershave, and scented deodorants. Likewise, avoid using highly scented soaps and other scented toiletries.



4. Be careful when clearing brush or mowing not to disturb nests.



5. Keep pet food and water bowls indoors. If Fido must stay outside, use food and water dispensers that are covered. It isn't perfect, but try to reduce the chances of your pet getting stung. Many dogs and cats are as sensitive to Yellow Jacket stings as humans, and you wouldn't want to come home to a tragic situation involving your pet.



6. Keep food and beverage containers closed. Use sports bottles with closeable straws when drinking soda and other sweet drinks outdoors.



7. Keep garbage cans covered and away from picnic areas. Likewise when at a public park, choose picnic tables located away from trash receptacles.



8. Use organic-based insect repellants that do not contain DEET.



9. If possible, wear long sleeves and pants that are close-fitting when working outside.



10. Unless you are very sure of what you are doing, don't attempt to destroy nests! I won't mess with it myself, but keep in mind that if you do, it is better to destroy nests after sunset, when the insects are inactive.



11. If you disturb a nest or group of Yellow Jackets, don't flail or swat. This will excite the other members of the group and trigger them to go into attack mode. Back away slowly and with minimal movement, if possible. Get inside as quickly as possible.



12. If you are stung, leave the area as quickly and safely as possible. The Yellow Jacket can sting repeatedly, and upon stinging, releases an alarm pheromone which alerts other members of the colony to defend and attack.



13. Wear gardening gloves when picking grapes, fruit, and other produce.



14. If you are allergic to bee and wasp venom, you should have the following on you at all times: Medic Alert tags, which your Doctor can tell you about, and information about your allergies on your person. Get a prescription from your doctor for Epi Sticks, and keep Benadryl™, or diphenhydramine capsules on hand. Remain calm. Apply ice to the area, do not attempt to remove the stinger, if it is present. Ice will keep the venom from traveling quickly, and above all else, go to the nearest Emergency Room or clinic.



15. If you are stung, keep an eye out for infection. Keep the area clean. Yellow Jackets can be very dirty creatures, landing and feeding on garbage, pet feces, dead animals, and other unmentionables that harbor dangerous bacteria. If you are bitten and haven't had a tetanus booster in 10 years, get one!

Yellow Jackets aren't the most welcome guest in our gardens this time of the year. Keep in mind, they do offer a valuable service by significantly reducing the pest population in our gardens. While it is somewhat of a wary coexistence, we can avoid trouble by practicing some common sense when outdoors. One last comforting word: As the season gets colder, and freezing temperatures return, the whole colony of these "Nature's Divebombers" will be gone for another season.

For homemade traps and commercial, organic resources for Yellow Jacket traps, click here.

Site Last Updated July 29, 2006

Copyright 2001-2006, Marilyn K. Burns. All Rights Reserved