Yellow Jackets

Yellow jackets are a type of paper wasp—they build structures out of a paper made by adding saliva to chewed-up plant fibers. One species nests above ground in basket-ball sized nests you sometimes see in trees or under eaves, and the other species nests below ground.

Through the spring and summer, the colony grows. For the species that nest underground, their homes usually begin in abandoned rodent burrows that are further excavated as the nest grows and during this time, mid to late summer, the workers get defensive. They’re focused on protecting the queen within.

Yellow jackets at your picnic table are unlikely to sting unless they’re physically threatened. Their aggressive behavior is reserved for defending the nest. If the nest is disturbed you may find yourself in a load of trouble as their level of tolerance changes.

I was gathering firewood near the campsite on my property outside Grayling. While lifting a log, I exposed a nest of ground-dwelling yellow jackets and found myself in a flurry of angry wasps hell-bent on doing me harm. At the first few stings I broke into a run but they matched my pace and the stings continued. I may have set a new record for the fifty yard dash before they finally broke off their pursuit. By then I'd taken dozens of hits.

I have no history of sting allergies but with multiple stings, all bets were off. I soon found the venom burden causing me serious illness and debated whether to seek treatment in town (seven miles away) but decided to just wait and see. That may have been a mistake. I began having difficulty breathing, with stomach pain and nausea so severe I knew I shouldn't drive. So I opened a beer and awaited my fate. My heart was racing and my head was pounding. Dizziness and sweating followed. I crawled into my sleeping bag hoping to ward off the chills but couldn't stop shaking. Then it dawned on me that I may be dying and I regretted not leaving a note - even something simple like, "Yellow jackets!".

And that was the last thing I remembered.

When I regained consciousness, the sun was high and the tent was like an oven. I was covered with one-inch welts and drenched in sweat. My watch said it was almost noon -- obviously the next day. When I poked my head out of the tent and gasped for air, I saw trees, birds, and acres of blue sky. I was alive! My god, such a glorious feeling! Though feeling like I'd been in a fistfight, I crawled out of the tent and struggled to my feet to do a brief celebratory dance.

A wary glance toward their nest showed things were back to normal for the yellow jackets. The workers were going about their business; serving their queen. So I went about my business, well away from their domain. It's better that way.