Yellowjackets being pesky

Article in the Spokesman Review on the apparent high density of yellowjackets in the area this year.

Cannon Barnett interviewed local pest control operators and university researchers about the high reports of pestiferous yellowjackets in eastern WA. It's hard to say why people are seeing this apparent pattern, since no one is tracking their numbers. But Dr. Chang (Gonzaga) and I discussed some biology and behaviors of the vespids.

Image link from newspaper: Pesky Yellowjackets in Spokane have been showing up at backyard barbecues and cookouts more than normal this season. (COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)

"Yellowjackets are opportunistic wasps, so when the insect populations that they prey on begin to decline in the fall, humans eating dinner outside or throwing out their leftovers can be a game-changing source of food, Murray said.
The wasp’s desperation for food can lead to attacks as well, said Gary Chang, an entomologist at Gonzaga University."  [quoted from the article]