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Yellow jackets--anyone?
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Jul 4, 2019 12:35:33   #
badbobby Loc: texas
 
Yellow jackets in Alabama may be in the midst of a colossal craze; they're making humongous "super nests" that can house 15,000 worker wasps, according to an entomologist there.
That's three to four times the size of typical wasp nests, which are the size of a volleyball and house about 4,000 to 5,000 workers, said Charles Ray, an entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES).



Why is this happening? It's likely because Alabama had a mild winter and there's plenty of food for these hungry insects, which usually don't survive the cold winter months, Ray said. [Photos: Peer at Glittering Insect Eyes and Glowing Spider Babies in Prizewinning Photos]

The last time super nests plagued Alabama, following the mild 2005-2006 winter, Ray saw 90 of them. This past winter was also mild in Alabama (although Ray still has to analyze temperature records to be sure), and ACES has already found two such nests in May and is investigating 19 more.

"This puts us several weeks earlier than in 2006, when we identified the first giant nest on June 13," Ray said in a statement. "If we are seeing them a month sooner than we did in 2006, I am very concerned that there will be a large number of them in the state. The nests I have seen this year already have more than 10,000 workers and are expanding rapidly."

Yellow jackets, a type of wasp, are smart creatures. But they usually aren't friendly when humans are around. They tend to build their papery nests in cavities — such as abandoned burrows in the ground or within the walls of a building. If a person gets too close, within about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of a nest's opening, the resident wasps will defend themselves, mercilessly stinging the person.

And, unlike honeybees, yellow jackets can sting multiple times without dying. However, they usually have less venom to inject following the first sting, said Ray, who is also a research fellow in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University.

In a typical summer, each yellow jacket colony headed by one queen will make a nest. The nest usually reaches its peak size in August. But this triumph is short-lived; when colder weather hits, the workers tend to freeze to death or die of starvation. Usually only the queen, who has antifreeze-like compounds in her blood, survives.

But when a region has a mild winter and an abundant food supply — anything that offers sugar and carbohydrates, such as tree sap, aphids and other insects — the workers tend to survive, and continue operating in the nest. Over time, that nest gets bigger and bigger. These super nests, also called perennial nests, that last more than one year can reach enormous sizes and often involve multiple queens. However, it's unclear if the queens are related to one another or whether they're strangers that decided to become neighbors, Ray told Live Science.

This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
Credit: Charles Ray
The largest nest he's laid eyes on took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy, Ray said. And these super nests aren't popping up only in Alabama. There are also reports of them in California. Ray and his Golden State colleagues plan to put together a proposal for a grant so they can study these nests more, he said. [No Creepy Crawlies Here: Gallery of the Cutest Bugs]

There is one silver lining: Yellow jackets that live in these gigantic nests tend to be less aggressive than is typical, Ray told Live Science.

"If you leave this nest alone and do not disturb it, and if it's in a place you can do that, they will not bother you. The undisturbed large nest is very docile compared to a little nest in the ground," Ray said. "They really don't seem to care if you're there."

He added that if a super nest can't be avoided, don't try to dispose of it yourself, as that can end badly. After all, one super nest in South Carolina had 250,000 workers, and nobody needs that many angry wasps picking a fight. Instead, he said, call an exterminator.

Reply
Jul 4, 2019 12:39:43   #
Liberty Tree
 
badbobby wrote:
Yellow jackets in Alabama may be in the midst of a colossal craze; they're making humongous "super nests" that can house 15,000 worker wasps, according to an entomologist there.
That's three to four times the size of typical wasp nests, which are the size of a volleyball and house about 4,000 to 5,000 workers, said Charles Ray, an entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES).



Why is this happening? It's likely because Alabama had a mild winter and there's plenty of food for these hungry insects, which usually don't survive the cold winter months, Ray said. [Photos: Peer at Glittering Insect Eyes and Glowing Spider Babies in Prizewinning Photos]

The last time super nests plagued Alabama, following the mild 2005-2006 winter, Ray saw 90 of them. This past winter was also mild in Alabama (although Ray still has to analyze temperature records to be sure), and ACES has already found two such nests in May and is investigating 19 more.

"This puts us several weeks earlier than in 2006, when we identified the first giant nest on June 13," Ray said in a statement. "If we are seeing them a month sooner than we did in 2006, I am very concerned that there will be a large number of them in the state. The nests I have seen this year already have more than 10,000 workers and are expanding rapidly."

Yellow jackets, a type of wasp, are smart creatures. But they usually aren't friendly when humans are around. They tend to build their papery nests in cavities — such as abandoned burrows in the ground or within the walls of a building. If a person gets too close, within about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of a nest's opening, the resident wasps will defend themselves, mercilessly stinging the person.

And, unlike honeybees, yellow jackets can sting multiple times without dying. However, they usually have less venom to inject following the first sting, said Ray, who is also a research fellow in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University.

In a typical summer, each yellow jacket colony headed by one queen will make a nest. The nest usually reaches its peak size in August. But this triumph is short-lived; when colder weather hits, the workers tend to freeze to death or die of starvation. Usually only the queen, who has antifreeze-like compounds in her blood, survives.

But when a region has a mild winter and an abundant food supply — anything that offers sugar and carbohydrates, such as tree sap, aphids and other insects — the workers tend to survive, and continue operating in the nest. Over time, that nest gets bigger and bigger. These super nests, also called perennial nests, that last more than one year can reach enormous sizes and often involve multiple queens. However, it's unclear if the queens are related to one another or whether they're strangers that decided to become neighbors, Ray told Live Science.

This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
Credit: Charles Ray
The largest nest he's laid eyes on took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy, Ray said. And these super nests aren't popping up only in Alabama. There are also reports of them in California. Ray and his Golden State colleagues plan to put together a proposal for a grant so they can study these nests more, he said. [No Creepy Crawlies Here: Gallery of the Cutest Bugs]

There is one silver lining: Yellow jackets that live in these gigantic nests tend to be less aggressive than is typical, Ray told Live Science.

"If you leave this nest alone and do not disturb it, and if it's in a place you can do that, they will not bother you. The undisturbed large nest is very docile compared to a little nest in the ground," Ray said. "They really don't seem to care if you're there."

He added that if a super nest can't be avoided, don't try to dispose of it yourself, as that can end badly. After all, one super nest in South Carolina had 250,000 workers, and nobody needs that many angry wasps picking a fight. Instead, he said, call an exterminator.
Yellow jackets in Alabama may be in the midst of a... (show quote)


I have been stung by them and those little critters hurt.

Reply
Jul 4, 2019 12:51:22   #
badbobby Loc: texas
 
Liberty Tree wrote:
I have been stung by them and those little critters hurt.


years ago
when not every car had air conditioners
I was driving with my window down and my arm partrially outside the door
when I drove through a horde of wasps
felt like hammers hitting my fore arm
nearly turned the car over
my arm swelled to twice its size and ached for a week

Reply
 
 
Jul 4, 2019 13:06:33   #
Kevyn
 
badbobby wrote:
Yellow jackets in Alabama may be in the midst of a colossal craze; they're making humongous "super nests" that can house 15,000 worker wasps, according to an entomologist there.
That's three to four times the size of typical wasp nests, which are the size of a volleyball and house about 4,000 to 5,000 workers, said Charles Ray, an entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES).



Why is this happening? It's likely because Alabama had a mild winter and there's plenty of food for these hungry insects, which usually don't survive the cold winter months, Ray said. [Photos: Peer at Glittering Insect Eyes and Glowing Spider Babies in Prizewinning Photos]

The last time super nests plagued Alabama, following the mild 2005-2006 winter, Ray saw 90 of them. This past winter was also mild in Alabama (although Ray still has to analyze temperature records to be sure), and ACES has already found two such nests in May and is investigating 19 more.

"This puts us several weeks earlier than in 2006, when we identified the first giant nest on June 13," Ray said in a statement. "If we are seeing them a month sooner than we did in 2006, I am very concerned that there will be a large number of them in the state. The nests I have seen this year already have more than 10,000 workers and are expanding rapidly."

Yellow jackets, a type of wasp, are smart creatures. But they usually aren't friendly when humans are around. They tend to build their papery nests in cavities — such as abandoned burrows in the ground or within the walls of a building. If a person gets too close, within about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of a nest's opening, the resident wasps will defend themselves, mercilessly stinging the person.

And, unlike honeybees, yellow jackets can sting multiple times without dying. However, they usually have less venom to inject following the first sting, said Ray, who is also a research fellow in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University.

In a typical summer, each yellow jacket colony headed by one queen will make a nest. The nest usually reaches its peak size in August. But this triumph is short-lived; when colder weather hits, the workers tend to freeze to death or die of starvation. Usually only the queen, who has antifreeze-like compounds in her blood, survives.

But when a region has a mild winter and an abundant food supply — anything that offers sugar and carbohydrates, such as tree sap, aphids and other insects — the workers tend to survive, and continue operating in the nest. Over time, that nest gets bigger and bigger. These super nests, also called perennial nests, that last more than one year can reach enormous sizes and often involve multiple queens. However, it's unclear if the queens are related to one another or whether they're strangers that decided to become neighbors, Ray told Live Science.

This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
Credit: Charles Ray
The largest nest he's laid eyes on took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy, Ray said. And these super nests aren't popping up only in Alabama. There are also reports of them in California. Ray and his Golden State colleagues plan to put together a proposal for a grant so they can study these nests more, he said. [No Creepy Crawlies Here: Gallery of the Cutest Bugs]

There is one silver lining: Yellow jackets that live in these gigantic nests tend to be less aggressive than is typical, Ray told Live Science.

"If you leave this nest alone and do not disturb it, and if it's in a place you can do that, they will not bother you. The undisturbed large nest is very docile compared to a little nest in the ground," Ray said. "They really don't seem to care if you're there."

He added that if a super nest can't be avoided, don't try to dispose of it yourself, as that can end badly. After all, one super nest in South Carolina had 250,000 workers, and nobody needs that many angry wasps picking a fight. Instead, he said, call an exterminator.
Yellow jackets in Alabama may be in the midst of a... (show quote)


Just find a guy in a MAGA hat, tell him about the nest, hand him one of these and offer to hold his beer from a safe distance. K*****g two birds with one stone through the process of natural se******n.



Reply
Jul 4, 2019 13:24:44   #
Gatsby
 
Liberty Tree wrote:
I have been stung by them and those little critters hurt.


I like to treat their nests with an ounce and a quarter of #9 shot.

Reply
Jul 4, 2019 13:39:49   #
badbobby Loc: texas
 
Kevyn wrote:
Just find a guy in a MAGA hat, tell him about the nest, hand him one of these and offer to hold his beer from a safe distance. K*****g two birds with one stone through the process of natural se******n.

this post was not political KEV
CAN YOU NOT DISCOURSE CIVILLY??

Reply
Jul 4, 2019 17:19:07   #
Rose42
 
badbobby wrote:
this post was not political KEV
CAN YOU NOT DISCOURSE CIVILLY??


He's a troll. Of course he can't.

I have destroyed many a yellow jacket nest. But I wait until night so its much easier.

Reply
 
 
Jul 4, 2019 18:07:57   #
lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas
 
badbobby wrote:
Yellow jackets in Alabama may be in the midst of a colossal craze; they're making humongous "super nests" that can house 15,000 worker wasps, according to an entomologist there.
That's three to four times the size of typical wasp nests, which are the size of a volleyball and house about 4,000 to 5,000 workers, said Charles Ray, an entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES).



Why is this happening? It's likely because Alabama had a mild winter and there's plenty of food for these hungry insects, which usually don't survive the cold winter months, Ray said. [Photos: Peer at Glittering Insect Eyes and Glowing Spider Babies in Prizewinning Photos]

The last time super nests plagued Alabama, following the mild 2005-2006 winter, Ray saw 90 of them. This past winter was also mild in Alabama (although Ray still has to analyze temperature records to be sure), and ACES has already found two such nests in May and is investigating 19 more.

"This puts us several weeks earlier than in 2006, when we identified the first giant nest on June 13," Ray said in a statement. "If we are seeing them a month sooner than we did in 2006, I am very concerned that there will be a large number of them in the state. The nests I have seen this year already have more than 10,000 workers and are expanding rapidly."

Yellow jackets, a type of wasp, are smart creatures. But they usually aren't friendly when humans are around. They tend to build their papery nests in cavities — such as abandoned burrows in the ground or within the walls of a building. If a person gets too close, within about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of a nest's opening, the resident wasps will defend themselves, mercilessly stinging the person.

And, unlike honeybees, yellow jackets can sting multiple times without dying. However, they usually have less venom to inject following the first sting, said Ray, who is also a research fellow in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University.

In a typical summer, each yellow jacket colony headed by one queen will make a nest. The nest usually reaches its peak size in August. But this triumph is short-lived; when colder weather hits, the workers tend to freeze to death or die of starvation. Usually only the queen, who has antifreeze-like compounds in her blood, survives.

But when a region has a mild winter and an abundant food supply — anything that offers sugar and carbohydrates, such as tree sap, aphids and other insects — the workers tend to survive, and continue operating in the nest. Over time, that nest gets bigger and bigger. These super nests, also called perennial nests, that last more than one year can reach enormous sizes and often involve multiple queens. However, it's unclear if the queens are related to one another or whether they're strangers that decided to become neighbors, Ray told Live Science.

This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
Credit: Charles Ray
The largest nest he's laid eyes on took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy, Ray said. And these super nests aren't popping up only in Alabama. There are also reports of them in California. Ray and his Golden State colleagues plan to put together a proposal for a grant so they can study these nests more, he said. [No Creepy Crawlies Here: Gallery of the Cutest Bugs]

There is one silver lining: Yellow jackets that live in these gigantic nests tend to be less aggressive than is typical, Ray told Live Science.

"If you leave this nest alone and do not disturb it, and if it's in a place you can do that, they will not bother you. The undisturbed large nest is very docile compared to a little nest in the ground," Ray said. "They really don't seem to care if you're there."

He added that if a super nest can't be avoided, don't try to dispose of it yourself, as that can end badly. After all, one super nest in South Carolina had 250,000 workers, and nobody needs that many angry wasps picking a fight. Instead, he said, call an exterminator.
Yellow jackets in Alabama may be in the midst of a... (show quote)


I have never had a bad reaction from stings..................until one of those yellow suckers popped me last week. It hit me on the arm and I thought I'd been shot. My arm swelled so much, I looked like a cross between Gumby and Popeye.

Reply
Jul 5, 2019 08:18:00   #
valkyrierider Loc: "Land of Trump"
 
Rose42 wrote:
He's a troll. Of course he can't.

I have destroyed many a yellow jacket nest. But I wait until night so its much easier.


Wait until night if they have a hole in the ground. Fill up a coke bottle with gasoline and ease up to the hole and poke the neck of the bottle into the hole and walk away.next day remove the bottle and you never have them in that hole again. K**ls them all.

For Hornets nest you put gas in a spray bottle and spray the outside of the nest (entrance hole 1st) then you take a large hypodermic needle and inject gasoline into the interior of the nest. It k**ls everything inside. Done this several times. Never got stung.

Reply
Jul 5, 2019 08:27:07   #
CodyCoonhound Loc: Redbone Country
 
Kevyn wrote:
Just find a guy in a MAGA hat, tell him about the nest, hand him one of these and offer to hold his beer from a safe distance. K*****g two birds with one stone through the process of natural se******n.


Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor implied. If you could repeat previously discredited memes or steer the conversation into irrelevant, off topic discussions, it would be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.

Kevy's effort to excuse his ignorance! Right from his posts closings.

Reply
Jul 5, 2019 11:39:52   #
bggamers Loc: georgia
 
badbobby wrote:
Yellow jackets in Alabama may be in the midst of a colossal craze; they're making humongous "super nests" that can house 15,000 worker wasps, according to an entomologist there.
That's three to four times the size of typical wasp nests, which are the size of a volleyball and house about 4,000 to 5,000 workers, said Charles Ray, an entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES).



Why is this happening? It's likely because Alabama had a mild winter and there's plenty of food for these hungry insects, which usually don't survive the cold winter months, Ray said. [Photos: Peer at Glittering Insect Eyes and Glowing Spider Babies in Prizewinning Photos]

The last time super nests plagued Alabama, following the mild 2005-2006 winter, Ray saw 90 of them. This past winter was also mild in Alabama (although Ray still has to analyze temperature records to be sure), and ACES has already found two such nests in May and is investigating 19 more.

"This puts us several weeks earlier than in 2006, when we identified the first giant nest on June 13," Ray said in a statement. "If we are seeing them a month sooner than we did in 2006, I am very concerned that there will be a large number of them in the state. The nests I have seen this year already have more than 10,000 workers and are expanding rapidly."

Yellow jackets, a type of wasp, are smart creatures. But they usually aren't friendly when humans are around. They tend to build their papery nests in cavities — such as abandoned burrows in the ground or within the walls of a building. If a person gets too close, within about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of a nest's opening, the resident wasps will defend themselves, mercilessly stinging the person.

And, unlike honeybees, yellow jackets can sting multiple times without dying. However, they usually have less venom to inject following the first sting, said Ray, who is also a research fellow in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University.

In a typical summer, each yellow jacket colony headed by one queen will make a nest. The nest usually reaches its peak size in August. But this triumph is short-lived; when colder weather hits, the workers tend to freeze to death or die of starvation. Usually only the queen, who has antifreeze-like compounds in her blood, survives.

But when a region has a mild winter and an abundant food supply — anything that offers sugar and carbohydrates, such as tree sap, aphids and other insects — the workers tend to survive, and continue operating in the nest. Over time, that nest gets bigger and bigger. These super nests, also called perennial nests, that last more than one year can reach enormous sizes and often involve multiple queens. However, it's unclear if the queens are related to one another or whether they're strangers that decided to become neighbors, Ray told Live Science.

This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
This yellow jacket nest took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy.
Credit: Charles Ray
The largest nest he's laid eyes on took up the interior of a 1957 Chevy, Ray said. And these super nests aren't popping up only in Alabama. There are also reports of them in California. Ray and his Golden State colleagues plan to put together a proposal for a grant so they can study these nests more, he said. [No Creepy Crawlies Here: Gallery of the Cutest Bugs]

There is one silver lining: Yellow jackets that live in these gigantic nests tend to be less aggressive than is typical, Ray told Live Science.

"If you leave this nest alone and do not disturb it, and if it's in a place you can do that, they will not bother you. The undisturbed large nest is very docile compared to a little nest in the ground," Ray said. "They really don't seem to care if you're there."

He added that if a super nest can't be avoided, don't try to dispose of it yourself, as that can end badly. After all, one super nest in South Carolina had 250,000 workers, and nobody needs that many angry wasps picking a fight. Instead, he said, call an exterminator.
Yellow jackets in Alabama may be in the midst of a... (show quote)


wasps have a nest in my shed needless to say its theirs till winterI am not that brave but I did notice some little bumble bee's in my flower garden I was so happy to see them havent seen any in a lot of years

Reply
 
 
Jul 5, 2019 11:49:06   #
badbobby Loc: texas
 
bggamers wrote:
wasps have a nest in my shed needless to say its theirs till winterI am not that brave but I did notice some little bumble bee's in my flower garden I was so happy to see them havent seen any in a lot of years
wasps have a nest in my shed needless to say its t... (show quote)


I leave the wasps alone
they eat a whole lotta insects

Reply
Jul 5, 2019 13:37:08   #
CodyCoonhound Loc: Redbone Country
 
bggamers wrote:
wasps have a nest in my shed needless to say its theirs till winterI am not that brave but I did notice some little bumble bee's in my flower garden I was so happy to see them havent seen any in a lot of years
wasps have a nest in my shed needless to say its t... (show quote)


If you need the shed, here is how to drain the shed of unwanted Yellow Jackets.
Tools- shop vac with long hose and some YJ spray poison that is cold spray.
Step 1- set or hang hose near bottom of nest
2. Spray some poison into tank.
3. Right before dusk or late afternoon(Cooling time of day)- turn on shop vac and stay clear.
4. As they return to nest, the vast majority will get sucked up in vacuum and die. Turn off after a couple hours and leave all in place.
5. To be safe run again in morning when they are leaving nest and maybe that 2nd night. Depends on size of nest.
6. It is now safe to spray the nest with cold YJ poison spray brand. It should say right on can, that it will come out cold to help freeze them before any left can escape. The nest will also crumble.

YouTube examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJPRjn4-Fs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soye8Br7QaQ

Brave guy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeta9pIxb6Q

Reply
Jul 5, 2019 15:00:11   #
bggamers Loc: georgia
 
CodyCoonhound wrote:
If you need the shed, here is how to drain the shed of unwanted Yellow Jackets.
Tools- shop vac with long hose and some YJ spray poison that is cold spray.
Step 1- set or hang hose near bottom of nest
2. Spray some poison into tank.
3. Right before dusk or late afternoon(Cooling time of day)- turn on shop vac and stay clear.
4. As they return to nest, the vast majority will get sucked up in vacuum and die. Turn off after a couple hours and leave all in place.
5. To be safe run again in morning when they are leaving nest and maybe that 2nd night. Depends on size of nest.
6. It is now safe to spray the nest with cold YJ poison spray brand. It should say right on can, that it will come out cold to help freeze them before any left can escape. The nest will also crumble.

YouTube examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJPRjn4-Fs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soye8Br7QaQ

Brave guy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeta9pIxb6Q
If you need the shed, here is how to drain the she... (show quote)


Thank you

Reply
Jul 5, 2019 18:21:33   #
Fit2BTied Loc: Texas
 
CodyCoonhound wrote:
If you need the shed, here is how to drain the shed of unwanted Yellow Jackets.
Tools- shop vac with long hose and some YJ spray poison that is cold spray.
Step 1- set or hang hose near bottom of nest
2. Spray some poison into tank.
3. Right before dusk or late afternoon(Cooling time of day)- turn on shop vac and stay clear.
4. As they return to nest, the vast majority will get sucked up in vacuum and die. Turn off after a couple hours and leave all in place.
5. To be safe run again in morning when they are leaving nest and maybe that 2nd night. Depends on size of nest.
6. It is now safe to spray the nest with cold YJ poison spray brand. It should say right on can, that it will come out cold to help freeze them before any left can escape. The nest will also crumble.

YouTube examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJPRjn4-Fs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soye8Br7QaQ

Brave guy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeta9pIxb6Q
If you need the shed, here is how to drain the she... (show quote)
THAT was fascinating! Watched all 3 and a few that dovetailed off of them. The guy in that third one must buy his skivvies custom made in order to fit over those huge nads.

Reply
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