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I live in NE Ohio, and right around the end of July the yellow jacket and bald faced hornets populations increase dramatically. Come August and through late October they start becoming extremely aggressive as their search turns to foods that humans consume. By the end of July they aren't too agressive yet, but can be bothersome. By August and September they can be quite unbearable here. It makes it so you can't sit on your back porch and enjoy the last remaining days of Summer because they're immediately in your face! It's not the bald faced hornets so much, and even though they're extremely aggressive they are not as plentiful as those damn yellow jackets! I know Florida has quite large variety of bugs and critters, but I was just curious as to if you had the same issues with yellow jackets and bald faced hornets that we have up here? When is their peak season down there? Are they worse in northern Florida, or southern Florida? When do they tend to die off (considering you virtually have no winter)? I've been to Florida in all seasons (it's been years and would love to go back) but I don't remember yellow jackets being a problem. I can deal with bugs, and most critters but yellow jackets make my skin crawl! Just curious? So far, I've only seen one worker and prior to that other than the normal wasps that come out as soon as we get a glimpse of warm weather (March-April) I only see the queens in May looking to find a place to nest.
So in other words you can go on a picnic in the fall or a sporting event or out on your patio without being harassed by them? It must be nice. Try going to a picnic, sporting event here in late summer and early fall, and it's a pain in the a**! I don't recommend drinking out of a can that's for sure!
I don't see a problem with them out in public but most people down here have screened lanais so bugs aren't really an issue when sitting outside.
It's kind of funny you mentioned the screened lanais. It must be a southern thing. No seriously, I had a great aunt and uncle (now deceased for quite some time) who lived in Hollywood, FL and they had a huge enclosed screen porch as did everyone on the street. I remember visiting at Christmas time, and all of the food was set up in there. It felt more like a 4th of July party than Christmas dinner LOL! Then again, we don't have that opportunity to have outdoor functions here at Christmas, because it's either cold, rainy, sleet, or snow! At any rate I have a friend who is back in Ohio, but lived for a time in San Antonio, TX. He said that they had yellow jackets down there, but nowhere near as bad as up here in the Fall. He is highly allergic too, so that was probably a good thing that they weren't an issue down there. When he moved back up here and bought a house, he had a pear tree in his yard, and to his dismay he ended up cutting it down because it attracted all of the yellow jackets and hornets. They love rotten fruit! Perhaps they aren't as bad down there as up here because of the milder climate, and they aren't scrambling around for food before they die off! Up here it's like the sense it, and just go freakin' crazy in the Fall!
I know one thing you guys do have issues with and that is fire ants! I remember being bitten by one of those bad boys one of the last times I was down there. Not as bad as a bee or wasp sting, but damn it still hurt!
We have yellow jackets here in north Florida but they evidently arnt as frequent as you say they are in NE Ohio.
We got two types. The small ones that build huge nests in hollow trees, old sheds, and under ground in gopher holes' and the large ones which are more that 3 times their size but are mostly seen as solitary bugs that are no threat.
We have hornets too that build the classic cantaloupe size hornet nests but they arnt as common.
The small yellow jackets are very dangerous if disturbed for they will attack en mass and chase their victim for long distances away from their nests.
Once I was looking at some rural property and accidentally disturbed them in a thicket of large palmettos and they chased me back to my truck a considerable distance. Lucky for me I was wearing a light jacket as it was winter time but I still was stung dozens of times and had to dump the jacket covered with the devils on the ground before I got inside my truck to escape them.
I used to clear land with a bulldozer and I feared these little demons more than the bigger wasps that often stung me.
The wasp stings hurt like hell but after an hour it had dropped off considerably. The venom of the yellow jacket was much worse with the bite still painful 24 hours later.
No, the yellow jackets are not the pest here that you describe them to be in Ohio. The big solitary buzzers can be scary but rarely cause any problems.
It is the small ones that are bad news and they dont attack unless disturbed.
But once they attack, it is BIG trouble for whomever is their target!
We have yellow jackets here in north Florida but they evidently arnt as frequent as you say they are in NE Ohio.
We got two types. The small ones that build huge nests in hollow trees, old sheds, and under ground in gopher holes' and the large ones which are more that 3 times their size but are mostly seen as solitary bugs that are no threat.
We have hornets too that build the classic cantaloupe size hornet nests but they arnt as common.
The small yellow jackets are very dangerous if disturbed for they will attack en mass and chase their victim for long distances away from their nests.
Once I was looking at some rural property and accidentally disturbed them in a thicket of large palmettos and they chased me back to my truck a considerable distance. Lucky for me I was wearing a light jacket as it was winter time but I still was stung dozens of times and had to dump the jacket covered with the devils on the ground before I got inside my truck to escape them.
I used to clear land with a bulldozer and I feared these little demons more than the bigger wasps that often stung me.
The wasp stings hurt like hell but after an hour it had dropped off considerably. The venom of the yellow jacket was much worse with the bite still painful 24 hours later.
No, the yellow jackets are not the pest here that you describe them to be in Ohio. The big solitary buzzers can be scary but rarely cause any problems.
It is the small ones that are bad news and they dont attack unless disturbed.
But once they attack, it is BIG trouble for whomever is their target!
Ohio has 3 species of yellowjackets; the eastern yellowjacket, the German yellowjacket, and the bald faced hornet which is considered a species of yellowjacket and not a true hornet. In fact the only true hornet in the US is the European hornet. They are huge, tend to fly at night, but you don't see them as much as they prefer wooded areas. The German yellowjacket is NOT native to Ohio, and was first spotted in the US in Ohio in 1975. They like the eastern yellowjacket will build nests in the ground, but will also build in attics, and basically anywhere they can find a place to hide. They tend to live in close proximity to people and like urban areas, and are extremely aggressive. There have been stories where they have chewed through the plaster of walls and gotten into peoples homes! It ironically happened to the buddy who spent time in San Antonio. When he first moved back he was staying at his parents, and they chewed through the walls of his bedroom! He asked his dad "are you trying to get me killed?" As again, he is highly allergic. My wife is too, and I wish she would get a damn epy pen!
You're right those little buggers hurt like hell! People always say, "oh leave them alone and they'll leave you alone!" I call BS! The first time I was stung was by one of those little SOBs! I was about 7. I literally walked out of the house and the thing got me right on the side of the neck! Then one time I had the pleasure of hitting a ground nest with a lawnmower. Fortunately is was early evening, so I was only stung twice. I didn't even see the nest! I can deal with wasps, as well as honeybees or bumblebees, and generally won't kill them unless they get into my house. I try not to kill any of God's creatures, but I will kill yellowjackets ANY chance I get! So far, as I said it's been quiet, but within a few weeks they'll start causing trouble. We have a lot of woods and a swamp nearby and so that could be why too.
BTW I think those big wasps are called Cicaida wasps and for the most part from what I've heard are not aggressive. Yeah, them little ones do pack a punch for sure!
Probably the reason why your yellow jackets get so aggressive in Ohio in the late summer is instinct is telling them to prepare for your northern winter.
Here in Florida, the bugs are lazier, cause the winters are milder, although I have noticed certain bugs becoming more aggressive with September being the worst month for red bugs(chiggers).
While the Florida Mosquito can be bad near wet areas and salt water marshes, the ones up north can be much more aggressive because they gotta be that way to keep the species surviving in the short summers.
They say the Arctic Mosquito that lives in the tundra for only 6 weeks is the worst and can actually kill caribou if they get thick enough. In the old days mosquitoes killed cattle in Florida but with all the drainage of the wetlands since then they are not hardly ever that bad except in swamps in a spring hatch.
Actually, Florida is not as buggy as it is made out to be. It is just the bugs are active for many more months than up north.
Probably the reason why your yellow jackets get so aggressive in Ohio in the late summer is instinct is telling them to prepare for your northern winter.
Here in Florida, the bugs are lazier, cause the winters are milder, although I have noticed certain bugs becoming more aggressive with September being the worst month for red bugs(chiggers).
While the Florida Mosquito can be bad near wet areas and salt water marshes, the ones up north can be much more aggressive because they gotta be that way to keep the species surviving in the short summers.
They say the Arctic Mosquito that lives in the tundra for only 6 weeks is the worst and can actually kill caribou if they get thick enough. In the old days mosquitoes killed cattle in Florida but with all the drainage of the wetlands since then they are not hardly ever that bad except in swamps in a spring hatch.
Actually, Florida is not as buggy as it is made out to be. It is just the bugs are active for many more months than up north.
You're probably right. Early on yellowjackets, and hornets feed on other bugs. Come late summer they turn to human food, sugary food, and rotten fruit, so it's like they're drunk! Which would explain the aggression! It's like someone when they get "beer muscles." The German yellow jacket too is a much more aggressive species and they are taking over and mixing with the native species and now are the main species here. Again, they tend to like urban areas in close proximity to people. I don't know how they got here, and don't know how they showed up first in Ohio but they are in other states in the northeast as well as part of the midwest. New Zealand has them too, and they are considered a pest status there. Well, at least we don't have the Africanized honeybees. Probably won't either, as it's too cold for them here. But then again if they mix with the normal honeybees which they are, they may adapt.
We get plenty of mosquitoes here, but they don't bother me too much. They'll go after my wife first. I agree with you about Florida not being as buggy as everyone says. When I've been down there, I've seen bees, those huge mud daubers, paper wasps that were a reddish brown color and regular ants as well as fire ants. I've never seen a scorpion, palmetto bugs or any sort of roaches. Like I said, most bugs and critters don't bother me, but I despise stinging insects!
It's kind of funny you mentioned the screened lanais. It must be a southern thing. No seriously, I had a great aunt and uncle (now deceased for quite some time) who lived in Hollywood, FL and they had a huge enclosed screen porch as did everyone on the street. I remember visiting at Christmas time, and all of the food was set up in there. It felt more like a 4th of July party than Christmas dinner LOL! Then again, we don't have that opportunity to have outdoor functions here at Christmas, because it's either cold, rainy, sleet, or snow! At any rate I have a friend who is back in Ohio, but lived for a time in San Antonio, TX. He said that they had yellow jackets down there, but nowhere near as bad as up here in the Fall. He is highly allergic too, so that was probably a good thing that they weren't an issue down there. When he moved back up here and bought a house, he had a pear tree in his yard, and to his dismay he ended up cutting it down because it attracted all of the yellow jackets and hornets. They love rotten fruit! Perhaps they aren't as bad down there as up here because of the milder climate, and they aren't scrambling around for food before they die off! Up here it's like the sense it, and just go freakin' crazy in the Fall!
I know one thing you guys do have issues with and that is fire ants! I remember being bitten by one of those bad boys one of the last times I was down there. Not as bad as a bee or wasp sting, but damn it still hurt!
Oh yeah we do have those pesky fire ants. A part of southern living though. I can rarely sit down when out at a park somewhere in flip flops at a picnic table because of the ants down here. The trick is to move around a bit so not to stay in one spot. The little bity ants are the worst though. They leave tiny little blisters if they get you.
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)? I've been to Florida in all seasons (it's been years and would love to go back
) but I don't remember yellow jackets being a problem. I can deal with bugs, and most critters but yellow jackets make my skin crawl
! Just curious? So far, I've only seen one worker and prior to that other than the normal wasps that come out as soon as we get a glimpse of warm weather (March-April) I only see the queens in May looking to find a place to nest.
