While working in the forest yesterday I took off a glove to explore a sudden pain in my scalp at the back of my neck. I immediately felt a Yellowjacket jabbing away with her stinger. I say “she” because only female Yellowjackets sting.
I had disturbed another nest earlier in the year and was staying away from that location until I knew it was safe to return. I know that only the queens live through the winter, but when does the rest of the colony die off? Apparently not late October in the Puget Sound region.
All of us who work in the forest know that Yellowjackets typically build nests underground and can become aggressive during late summer and fall. One expert recommends staying calm and moving away slowly when they come buzzing around, but that may not work if their nest is disturbed. I typically only realize I am near a nest when I feel the first sting. Then, I leave the area in haste! I go at least 10 yards away before stopping to find out if I am being pursued. If I’m still getting stung, I manually pull the insects off and keep hustling away.
Yesterday, I plucked the Yellowjacket off my neck and made a beeline away from there. Fortunately, there were no followers, and after a few minutes I cautiously crept back closer and was able to see several of them swarming around a small opening in the ground. When will they call it quits for the year? I don’t know. To play it safe, I won’t go back until 2021.