A typical nest consists of two or three thousand workers and one queen. With these large nests, we may have as many as 100,000 workers. (…)
Rather than starting spring with a single queen — as yellow jackets traditionally do — these nests are starting with possibly a couple of thousand workers and possibly multiple queens.
We’re not really sure how this (…) works. It could be that the daughters of the original queen don’t leave the nest or that the queens have developed some way to cooperate.
Dr. Charles Ray, Auburn University
IMAGE [above, larger]
ARTICLE [Giant nests perplex experts]
ARTICLE/IMAGES [What is Causing Super-sized Yellow Jacket Nests?]
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The Conversation {2 comments}
MY WORD !!! I’d say it was a labor of love … but then don’t think “love” is on a yellow jacket’s priority list. So much to do and so little time for them to do it would be a better description I guess. Wouldn’t want to make any of these guys angry though … =)
DAMN!!!!!!! That one sweet pad for a yellow jackets’ Queens
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