It’s hard to believe with all this cold weather that summer is just around the corner. Before you know it, mosquitoes and bees will be out in force.
Lake County has an abundance of insects, including mosquitoes, bees, gnats and hundreds of species of flying gnats. By far the least popular insect is the yellowjacket. The yellow jacket is actually a wasp. It has a close cousin in the county called the paper wasp. Just about everyone has had yellowjackets swarm around their backyard, especially when they are barbecuing meat. In fact, they are often called “meat bees” because they look like a bee and feed on meat.
According to scientists at the University of California, yellowjackets are by far one of the most troublesome group of insects, especially ground and cavity-nesting ones such as the western yellowjacket, which tends to defend its nest vigorously when disturbed. Defensive behavior increases as the season progresses and colony populations become larger while food becomes scarcer. In summer and fall, foraging yellowjackets are primarily scavengers and they start to show up at picnics and barbecues, around garbage cans, at dishes of dog or cat food placed outside and where ripe or overripe fruit are accessible. At certain times and places the number of scavenger wasps can be quite large.
Paper wasps are much less defensive and rarely sting humans. They tend to shy away from human activity except when their nests are located near doors, windows or other high-traffic areas.
Colonies of yellowjackets are initiated by the queen. After emerging from hibernation, the queen searches for a nest site. When it has located a suitable site, a small nest is formed. The queen continues to forage for construction materials and food such as spiders and other insects as well as any meat until four to seven workers have emerged. At this point the queen focuses solely on laying eggs and the nest continues to expand.
Between August and September males and queens are produced, which then leave the nest and mate. The nest begins to decline around this time. The males eventually die and the inseminated queen begins diapause (hibernation). The inseminated queen is the only member of the colony that survives winter. Longevity of the workers varies with colony activity and development, with the lifespan of the earliest-born workers averaging 22 days and the latest-born workers around 40 days.
Commercial yellowjacket traps are common throughout the county. They normally can be identified by their yellow color. They contain a commercially produced bait. The yellowjacket flies into the trap and can’t get out. It’s not unusual to see several hundred yellow jackets in a single trap. The trick is to trap the queen. If she is trapped the hive dies. There is also a special pesticide that is available. The spray will kill a yellowjacket instantly.
The big fear among humans is being bitten by a yellowjacket. Dozens of people are bitten in Lake County each year. In the past 20 years two people have died from stings/bites. One of these deaths occurred at Highland Springs near the disc golf course and the other was in Lower Lake. Most people bitten suffer only a sore spot although a few have life-threatening symptoms. A yellowjacket can bite several times because it doesn’t lose its stinger. There is a medicine that combats the yellowjacket bite and is taken by injection. It’s called an Epipen or its generic equivalent. It is injected into a person’s thigh. The problem with a Epipen is the cost. The brand name costs about $600 while the generic equivalent costs around $110. You also need a doctor’s prescription to purchase it.
If you have any reaction after being bitten seek medical help immediately. That act could save your life.
The yellowjacket and other bees are among the interesting critters that make Lake County so special.
