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Ongoing Drought Bringing ‘Hangry’ Yellow Jackets to the Surface in Droves

photo by: Franco Folini (via Wikimedia Commons)

Continuing drought conditions are forcing yellow jackets out of the ground in larger numbers as sources of nectar become more scarce.

WHEELING — While residents may have observed dead grass patches on their lawns due to drought conditions, another impact of the dry weather in backyards is increased yellow jacket populations.

Yellow jackets typically nest in the ground, with drought conditions driving more of the insect to the surface to search for food as nectar sources deplete.

As yellow jackets become hungrier, they become “a little more aggressive,” according to WVU Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent Karen Cox, due to their need to “scavenge whatever they can” to survive.

“All the plants are dead because of the drought, so that means there’s not much nectar,” Cox said. “The places where there is nectar usually have irrigation, which is usually people’s yards or public areas that are tended. Yellow jackets enter these areas to get nectar from flowers, clovers and whatever else they can scavenge.”

Cox said yellow jacket populations peak in late summer and early fall. Since yellow jackets breed faster in hot conditions, the recent hot spell has exacerbated the problem.

Yellow jackets are also more likely to move beyond someone’s garden to obtain food. Cox noted that the hungrier they are, the more likely they are to invade picnics and steal soda and other foods.

“The yellow jackets are bordering on ‘hangry’ right now,” Cox said. “They are coming out and trying to find enough food to keep their colony alive until winter.”

Though yellow jackets are a pest for residents, Cox stressed they do not damage the environment. She noted they are a “very important and very effective pollinator.”

“They’re not going to damage your garden unless you have a fruit that’s really ripe,” Cox said. “They may try to puncture in and drink some of the nectar, but they typically aren’t doing to cause damage. If you have a tomato that got a hole in it because it got bumped or stuck on another plant, they’ll drink the juices out of that tomato.”

Even with their role as pollinators, Cox acknowledged most people do not want them in their backyards as they are “one of the most aggressive stinging insects.”

Wellsburg-based farmer Eric Freeland has seen the impact first-hand of the “hangry” yellow jackets at his farm. He noted seeing swarms of yellow jackets on rotting fruit that had fallen from trees.

“Believe it or not, because the fruit is fermenting, the yellow jackets tend to get inebriated, making them even more aggressive,” Freeland said. “You have to be cautious picking pears and peaches because they might have drilled into that fruit, and you do not see them when you reach up to grab it.”

Even though they pose little harm to gardens, Blended Homestead co-owner Eric Blend noted the insects are a “direct predator of honey bees.” With the drought weakening honeybees due to the lack of nectar flow, Blend has made an extra effort to keep his bee population strong enough to ward off yellow jackets.

“Yellow jackets are carnivorous, so they’ll kill honey bees individually,” Blend said. “They’ll stand right outside the entrance of a weak hive, and as a honeybee comes out, they’ll rip their heads off.”

If one decides to control the yellow jacket population in their yard, Cox advises locating nests by observing where yellow jackets congregate on the soil level. Cox said these areas are “typically going to be the entrance of the nest.”

Cox recommends treating nests at night because their occupants will be “groggy and a little bit less aggressive.” Cox said to set a flashlight away from where you will approach the nest since the bugs are attracted to light and will fly toward the flashlight as you approach the nest.

Freeland’s tried-and-true product for eliminating yellow jackets is the Sevin insecticide, available in powder form at Lowe’s, Home Depot and Tractor Supply Co.

Freeland uses a long-handled spoon to pour a spoonful of Sevin into a yellow jacket nest. Within a day or two, “all the yellow jackets are wiped out.”

“What I do is probably the safest method,” Freeland said. “People run a garden hose down into a nest, and I’ve heard of old-timers putting gasoline down into a nest, which may not be the wisest thing because of its explosive nature.”

Cox also discourages pouring petroleum over yellow jackets’ nests, as the product leaves a “strong chemical residue.

“I believe it’s illegal in West Virginia to pour petroleum products over nests,” Cox noted. “It’s not recommended either, as many yellow jacket-specific pesticides out there do a lot better job of controlling those insects and don’t leave as strong of a chemical residue.”

The “label is the law” is Blend’s motto for insecticide use. Before spraying, he said one should ensure they’re using the right product and read the label to learn the best time to spray and other tips.

If one gets stung while gardening or during pest control efforts, Cox said one should seek emergency medical attention if they show any signs of anaphylaxis. These symptoms include one’s throat closing up and excessive swelling at and around the sting.

Even if one is not allergic to yellow jacket stings, Cox recommended still paying attention to symptoms when one has received multiple stings.

“The more you are stung, the more poison you have in your system and the more likely you are to have a significant reaction,” Cox said. “Significant swelling is not necessarily an allergic reaction, but a symptom that may need attention so a trip to urgent care may be acquired.”

Skunks are another pest that may be a good sign in one’s backyard when controlling yellow jacket populations. Cox said yellow jackets are the animal’s “favorite food.”

“If you have a skunk in your yard, be thankful because they’re eating these yellow jackets,” Cox said.

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