Yellow jackets?

[hackberry jake]

Are yellow jackets attracted to fresh cut wood? I have been stung three times in the past two weeks. First two were in the woods. I was cutting down trees to make room for a pond. The last one was yesterday. Standing outside a shed tha was freshly re-boarded with oak board and batton siding.

[stavebuyer]

They are and seem to become more agressive in the fall. Hate the little buggers

[Tree Feller]

Maybe they just like you, Jake.  ;D

Yellow Jackets are often confused with Guinea Wasps which have similar yellow and black markings. The Guinea Wasps build aerial nexts while the Yellow Jacket nests are usually in the ground. Yellow Jackets look more like a bee whereas Guinea Wasps look very wasp-like. I don't know if either is attracted to fresh-cut wood. I find that most wasps are particularly aggressive this time of year, especially those big Red Paper Wasps.

Earlier this summer, I was picking up some short 1x4 PT pine boards off the ground and standing them beside a Cedar tree. I noticed that the ground felt really soft beneath my feet and about the same time I realized that something was stinging my torso. I thought it was fire ants but when i looked down, I was covered with Yellow Jackets. I was standing directly on top of their underground nest. I got stung four or five times before I got away from them.

A couple of weeks later I was getting the mill ready to saw and a black Paper Wasp came out from under the tarp I had over the engine and stung me on the right forearm. My arm swelled up double it's normal size and it was three days before the swelling went down. never had that happen before and I've been stung lots of times over the years...wasps, bumblebees, honey bees, Yellow Jackets, scorpion...the scorpion sting was definitely the worst, by far.

[DanG]

In the fall, Yellow Jackets are no different from the rest of us Senior Citizens.  We are highly disgruntled about being old and nearing the end of life, so we are ready to sting whoever gets in our way. :D

The obnoxious little buggars are attracted to anything that smells sweet, and a lot of woods have a sweet scent.  Perfumes and brightly colored clothes can attract them too.

[hackberry jake]

My body over reacts to insect stings. The first was on my right calf, second was on my left calf, and third was on my neck. They all swelled up pretty bad, like there was a marble under my skin. When I was a kid I got stung on the upper lip by a wasp. My whole face swelled up an made it hard to breathe for a few days. Lessen learned; never yell through the top tube on a swing set.

[Sawdust Lover]

Sounds like you should get an eppy pen. Bee stings are nothing to mess with if your allergic to them. That use to happen to me when I got stung but as I got older I reacted differently. A bee sting a few years ago almost killed me.

[slider]

They are partial to bud light so be cautious at the end of the day.

[Tree Feller]

They are partial to bud light so be cautious at the end of the day.

Whew, I'm glad I drink Corona.   :D

[Chuck White]

I've seen honey bees and yellow jackets work the sawdust pile when I'm sawing Ash.

[mikeb1079]

Sounds like you should get an eppy pen. Bee stings are nothing to mess with if your allergic to them. That use to happen to me when I got stung but as I got older I reacted differently. A bee sting a few years ago almost killed me.

good advice.  the exact same thing happened to my pa.  got stung as an adult and it was very serious, luckily he carries an epi pen with him.  i don't think they are very expensive.....

[drobertson]

I killed one today! So I am one up this time,  they do get aggressive in the fall. But they do move just a bit slower than normal, so a quick foot can get'm.

[WDH]

I have had a problem with them around my fresh sawn wood as well. 

[Tom L]

they were all over me yesterday, cutting oak, the bees were all around the logs while cutting and the stacked lumber

[kelLOGg]

Lessen learned; never yell through the top tube on a swing set.

:D :D :D :D
Bob

[drobertson]

Yep, these warm fall days are bringing them out for sure, yesterday was a crazy day, all the bees' were out, and today is going to be close to 80 again, 

[Cypressstump]

[/quote]Whew, I'm glad I drink Corona.   :D[/quote]


Another fellow Corona fan here !

I don't have issues with them around me here in  S. La.. I think the floods may keep the ground nesting yellow jackets at bay.Sends em' off up ya'lls way..........
When I lived in New Mexico, during the Elk archery season, the yellow jackets were quite the pain in the rear. They are highly attracted to scent of blood. As the Archery hunt sarts  Sept 1st, the weather gets hot as early as 10 am, when you get a Bull down, there is no time to waste in skinning and hanging meat to cool.
Even a nice smokey juniper limb fed fire would not faze them doggone things.

[1woodguy]

Have a car lift outside  electric motor and plastic tank for fluid I keep covered with a bucket
Noticed the other day that yellow jackets and red wasps seemed to be argueing about who owned it  they were doing the same around a hole in a concrete block wall where they nest
They do that every year when the nights get cooler
I hit them with some spray early in the morning

Past few years also seems like the yellow jackets seem to like the cedars on the south slopes
I only cut them. Early in the morning before it warms up
Cause if I don't the vibration of the saw perks them up ,then it's fun time !

Ain't nothing like grabbing a open can of soda and getting a drink when they are around :D
I need to learn to listen for the buzz

[clww]

I sprayed another ground nest two nights ago. That's the third one I've had to get rid of this year. This was the worst I've seen that I can remember as far as ground nests of the little nasty devils. I hope we get a hard frost soon.