Yellow Jackets in Their Dinner Jackets
Enjoy your own lunch, while the bees and wasps enjoy theirs.
One day while I was out taking a leisurely stroll, I was
suddenly surrounded by what seemed to be every yellow
jacket within a square-mile radius. Suspecting the pesky
little critters were more interested in my sugary beverage
than they were in me, I slowly set the can of cola on the
ground, then fled the scene.
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My experience with the wasps put me off of any activities
that could involve stinging insects until my husband taught
me that giving the wasps their own little serving of food
and drink encouraged them to leave us humans alone. Put a
drop of soda and a dollop of your sandwich meat at the
opposite end of the table, cover your drink with one hand
(substituting iced tea also helps) and gently wave your
other hand over your food until the critters discover the
smaller, undisturbed meal. You can enjoy your own lunch,
while the bees and wasps enjoy theirs.
BARBARA SANTHUFF
Belleview, Missouri
Great tip, Barbara. Although they can be a nuisance,
yellow jackets and other wasps are actually very beneficial
in the garden, as the picture at left shows. This yellow
jacket was photographed by David Cavagnaro, the Iowa
gardener/ photographer on the cover of our September 2001
issue. Cavagnaro said he watched the yellow jackets attack
the newly emerged sphinx moth, first eating its wings and
eventually consuming the entire moth. Yellow jackets also
feed on grasshoppers, flies, caterpillars and aphids.
Sphinx moths, also called hummingbird moths, are fun to
watch as they feed on flower nectar in the evenings, but
the eggs they lay hatch into the infamous tomato and
tobacco hornworms, which damage garden crops.
Yellow jacket populations sometimes explode in the
summer, and the insects can become extremely aggressive.
Never disturb their nests (usually made in the ground). If
anyone is stung, everyone should go inside because the
wasps release an alarm scent that prompts others to sting.
If you must, you can trap yellow jackets with a homemade
trap made by drilling three eighth-inch holes in a plastic
two-liter bottle, then baiting it with 10 percent molasses
and water, a pinch of yeast and a few drops of dish
detergent. Happy picnicking! - MOTHER