The Hunt Is On

  Every now and again, something occurs that sets off a series of actions.  This can be a good thing or a bad depending on the circumstances.  Once again, I noticed a whole bunch of yellowjackets dining upon a Eastern Lubber Grasshopper that I had squished.  Uh oh, that was not a good sign.  If there are yellowjackets in the area that quick after a kill, that can mean only one thing.  There is a huge nest somewhere nearby.  These are the Southern Yellowjackets that usually build their tiered nests below ground.  The entrance is an inconspicuous hole about one inch in diameter.  This underground nest-building may be fine for the wasps but it is definitely NOT fine for anything else that might wander too near.  Let one footstep get too close and the entire nest of hundreds of wasps will exit to defend their territory.  Southern Yellowjackets are known to be foul-tempered little rascals that will attack any hapless creature that might be deemed a threat.  The critters are so vicious that they refuse to call off an attack even when the intruder has fled.  The wasps will follow and continue stinging.  This can mean big trouble for anyone or any other critter. 

  Since finding so many yellowjackets in the area, I am determined to find that hidden nest and eradicate the wasps.  I worry that the old dog, Mr. PJ, will accidentally step on the hole and receive multiple stings.  The old dog would not fare so well through such a scenario.  He is already weakened with age and other health problems and does not need anything such as this.  So, the hunt is on.  Today, I took my old push lawnmower out and mowed where the old dog usually goes.  This is the first step.  Tomorrow, I will broaden that clearing into the underbrush around the paths and clear the gardens in case the buggers are there. It will be a lot of hot, hard work but it is needed.

  Southern Yellowjackets are easily recognized by their yellow and black stripes and nasty tempers.  Their queen, however, is orange with an equally as bad temperament.  She is often the only one of a hive to live during the winter months and will rebuild the colony herself.  She is bred the previous fall and will overwinter in a rotted log or mulch pile.  Come spring, she emerges and starts to find a suitable nesting site.  Occasionally, she will reuse the same nest but often that is not possible. Predators may have raided the unguarded nest during the wasps' dormant season.  There are some instances where the queen takes over a weaker queen's existing hive and commandeers the worker wasps.  If this is not possible, she starts her own hive, lays enough eggs to start a colony and then the whole group expands until there are hundreds of wasps in the colony.  These wasps feed on dead insects or animals.  (They love fish!)  They do not make honey so are not pollinators.