I have to tell you, before you read the poem, this has totally amazed me! The Yellow Jackets have been here before, eating the grape jelly I put out for the birds. Before long, no birds were eating the jelly just the Yellow Jackets. By the way, I did look them up and they are
Eastern yellowjacket - Wikipedia
The eastern yellow jacket or eastern yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons) is a wasp found in eastern North America. Habitat
Forests, meadows and forest edges, including urban and suburban environments. Like in all Vespula, colonies are normally subterranean, or sometimes at ground level in stumps and fallen logs. In deciduous forest, nest entrances frequently situated under tree roots or adjacent to logs on the ground. Of 40 colonies confirmed as this species in western Pennsylvania, 34 were subterranean, 3 were in exterior walls of buildings, 1 was beneath a tree stump, 1 was in the roots of a fallen tree, and 1 was located in an exposed shale outcropping (B. Coulter, pers. ob.). This total is likely somewhat biased towards natural habitats, as many nests are found in cavities in structures in urban areas. Which is worse hornet or yellow jacket? The Hornet sting may be worse but the Yellow Jacket is more aggressive. The Yellow Jackets are responsible for most stings in the U.S.
I must say, I have not had a sting from all the Yellow-Jackets I have been around. Re-doing the water, taking out some from the birdbath, when I put jelly out! True, I was not around their nest, wherever it may be, but I like to think they have a fondness for me! I fed them you see!
Yellow Jackets Galore
By Mary J Williams ©
It was in September
The Yellow Jackets came
Started eating the jelly
The Honeybees did the same
The temperatures dropped
The Honeybee left
The wasps stuck around
Wishing there was more by heck
I wrote a couple of poems
About the jelly and the water
Of how they fell in
When it was a little hotter
One day my neighbor
Came to my door
With some pears she had
Said, “I wish I had more”
I let them sit on the counter
Until a few days passed
They didn’t get any softer
So processed them at last
I peeled and I cored
I kept a few seeds
Each pear only had two
Sure not like the weeds
I put the peelings and cores
In an empty flowerpot
For birds who want a treat
You’ll never guess what they brought
The Yellow Jackets showed up
Not very many to count
Date of October 29
Four or five was the amount
I kept an eye on them
Every day numbers increased
Today, November 2nd
Thirty or more, having quite a feast
You could hardly see the pears
They were eating pear and juice
They haven’t bothered me
I fed them I deduced
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| 10-29-2022 4-5 of them |
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| 4 on this pic 10-29-2022 |
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| 6 or maybe more 10-29-2022 |
10-31-2022 - counted 9
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| 10-31-2022 13-14 now |
11-1-2022 many more
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| 11-1-2022 a whole colony now |
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11-2-2022 too many to count-over 30 Probably the
whole neighborhood |
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| If you can count them let me know 11-2-2022 |
Biologists have found that yellow jackets are more aggressive than hornets. Of course, they can become aggressive when someone gets near their nest. In addition to that, yellow jackets have been known to sting people for no reason at all.
I have been on the deck, with the Yellow Jackets around me. I have taken a leaf and got some out of the birdbath and saved them. Others I haven't saved. When I put in fresh water and when I am there counting and taking pictures, they have not been aggressive! Maybe I have been lucky but I want to think they know I fed them and have saved some and they have passed that information on and they don't bother me!
Now, I will put in the poem:
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