No Yellow Jackets this Fall
 

i just noticed something the other day....
I have had no encounters with the Yellow Jackets!
Out under the apple trees is always a herd of them.
Splitting and stacking wood, always there.
This Fall, None!
strnge

Yellow jackets in my neck of the woods are affected by the amount of rain we get in the spring. It was a dry spring so we had a lot of them this summer.

lots this year. fewer now that the temp drops into the 20's F...and it's not close to winter yet.

I've noticed the same.
On the other hand the wasps are numerous this year.

Now that you have mentioned it.I have not seen many this year. Last year I could not get rid of them. Need them for plant pollination.

I'd think honey bees to be more efficient pollinators...certainly less likely to work a guy over unexpectedly. I'd really like to raise some for pollination purposes...they could keep their honey as long as the local black bears saw it the same way.

Yes honey bees are more efficient because they can carry more pollen on there body do to lot of hair. Yellow jackets do pollinate especially fruit and sweet nectar .;)

Want some boxelder bugs? I seem to have plenty to spare this year.

Weird. I usually have to clean 5 or 6 nests off the house each summer. Not a single one this year...

I wonder is the bee apocalypse is effecting other hive insects ?

the wife stepped barefoot on a bee in the kitchen this AM
and has been in pain at each step

Same here. Very few indeed.

I've seen a lot. Invoking the KISS rule now.

Honey bees are a lot of work
I have some exp. in them. It is a life long adventure...rewarding to be sure...

About usual this year......and they're pissed off as usual this time of year.
My 40 odd year war with the damn things has had little effect on them.