Giant nests perplex experts

The Associated Press ^ | August 24, 2006 | Garry Mitchell

[Sopater]

What kind of bug guy says YJ's "sting" - they bite.

If they "bite", then what do they do with their "stinger"?

[magslinger]

[Western Phil]

They have different "niches". The yellow jackets are meat eaters for their protein, while the honeybees are vegetarians. Their protein comes from flower pollen.

[theDentist]

Talk about catching a buzz....

[Alas Babylon!]

Not in Tallassee, believe me. A man's land is still part of his castle in that part of Alabama. Of course, don't ask, don't tell, still is the best policy.

[AppyPappy]

We had a hornets nest vacuumed this week. It works really well. And free too. He sells the bugs to make antivenom.

For Yellow Jackets, I use gasoline. But don't light it. Pour in some gas and dump a cup of sand over the nest. You can do it the other way as well but I don;t.

[Hacksaw]

According to the literature I have read, yellow jackets are considered beneficial because they eat crop destroying bugs (except for the honeybees I guess). The drawback of course is that they are very agressive. Smashing one will release a scent which will cause others to attack.

Yellow Jacket Fact Sheet

[theDentist]

Well, I don't have the problem, but I'll keep it in mind. I'm sure one of these days....

[peggybac]

I just had someone kill the yellow jacket nest that was being built underground in my backyard just last week. They found a gopher canal and set up home in it. These things were HUGE. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I'm a pansy when it comes to stinging insects.

[mad_as_he$$]

Not sure but "yellow jacket" that has ever attacked me in the West has bitten me - many times. Could be different species?????

[swain_forkbeard]

"Was Rodan an insectivore?"

Definitely.

[jtill]

Thanks for the ping. I had read about this either in the newspaper or on the net. Probably the net because I remember seeing that picture of the car nest.

We have some humdingers of wasps, just hope they aren't part of this bunch.

[Mrs. P]

Damn good idea...

Hey, he's a damn good husband! Thinks up lots of good things....

I wonder how big a Shop Vac they'd need for the nests we read about here?

That is one big nest, and I'm glad I don't have to clean it out. I wonder how they will do it? It sounds like it might not even get cold enough this winter to kill those things. Personally, I'd just sell the whole place and move up north where they are killed off in winter.

[theDentist]

I'd move too, but aside from a bee-keeper, who'd want to buy? That's why I was thinking freon.... the cold blast of air will slow 'em down, prevent swarming, and kill them... glad it's not mine.

[muleskinner]

While camping last weekend, I was able to observe real Wild Kingdom life and death fights between a Yellow-Jacket and Bald-Faced Hornet.
I had some crackers and cheese on a plate, which a few Yellow-Jackets were trying to snitch. I soon noticed the slightly larger Bald-Faced Hornet loitering about a foot away. Apparently, one of the yellow-Jackets tried to chase the Hornet away by making a fly-by. Mistake. The Hornet suddenly attacked the Yellow-Jacket and a fight ensude on my plate of food. Lots of angry buzzing, as they both tried to land the fatal sting. The Hornet soon clipped off an antennae and a leg or two, and center-punched the Yellow-Jacket with it's stinger. The Yellow-Jacket stopped flapping it's wings and was well, subdued. The Hornet carried off the defeated Yellow-Jacket to it's fate. About 45 minutes later, the Hornet returned and repeated it's attack on another Yellow-Jacket. The result was the same.

SO, just get a colony of Bald-Faced Hornets nearby and they'll soon take care of the local Yellow-Jacket population.

[libstripper]

Here in east Tennessee I've noticed two different types. The first is the ordinary full sized yellow jacket. If I leave them alone, they leave me alone and I've never had any real problem with them.

Then there are the smaller ones, about 2/3 the size of the others. Those are yellow jackets from Hell. They're highly territorial and don't need to be directly molested to attack. I first ran into them about two years ago when a trades person was visiting and remarked on how many "bees" were flying around my front porch. I went out, looked, and they started stinging me. Fortunately, I was able to get into the house and call an exterminator. The second time I was mowing the lawn beside a patch of bushes in my front yard. They came out and stung me several times before I was able to get away.

You definintely don't want to get near one of those nests.

[RikaStrom]

Ok, that just freaks me out.

[R. Scott]

That could ruin your day.

[RightWhale]

They are all female. There is also a wasp infestation in Fairbanks this summer. They have no purpose except to sting people.

[Mrs. P]

Is that Winston Rothschild of Rothschild's Sewage and Septic Sucking Services?

Wow, I'll bet there's some suction in that baby!