Posts Tagged: western yellowjacket

Make Way for the Weird and Wonderful Wasps

Meet the "meat bees."  Yellowjackets, commonly known as "meat bees," in comparison to the "vegetarian" honey bees, will be among the wasps...

A honey bee, Apis mellifera, and a Western yellowjacket,Vespula pensylvanica, sharing a rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee, Apis mellifera, and a Western yellowjacket,Vespula pensylvanica, sharing a rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Aren't You Supposed to Be Hibernating?

Dec. 22 marked the winter solstice, the first day of winter. But don't tell that to the western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica. It's supposed...

A western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, flies toward Algerian ivy in mid-December in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, flies toward Algerian ivy in mid-December in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, sipping nectar from Algerian ivy in Vacaville, Calif. in mid-December. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, sipping nectar from Algerian ivy in Vacaville, Calif. in mid-December. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Yellowjacket or Paper Wasp?

Western yellowjackets, nicknamed "meat bees" (as opposed to the "vegetarian honey bees") are often misidentified. A recent visitor at a camp in...

A Western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, sipping water. Note the black antennae. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, sipping water. Note the black antennae. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp, Polistes dominula, soaking up sun. Note the orange antennae.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp, Polistes dominula, soaking up sun. Note the orange antennae.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This is a European paper wasp nest tucked inside a shrub. Yellowjacket nests are often in abandoned rodent nests. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This is a European paper wasp nest tucked inside a shrub. Yellowjacket nests are often in abandoned rodent nests. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

It's No Vegetarian

Bee specialists like to point out that the yellowjacket is a carnivore and the honey bee is a vegetarian. They are, indeed. The yellowjacket is an...

Western yellowjacket (Vespula penyslvanica) heading toward a red-hot poker (but this variety is yellow). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Western yellowjacket (Vespula penyslvanica) heading toward a red-hot poker (but this variety is yellow). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Western yellowjacket buries its head in a tubular flower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Western yellowjacket buries its head in a tubular flower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Western yellowjacket foraging. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Western yellowjacket foraging. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Western yellowjacket assumes the shape of a comma. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Western yellowjacket assumes the shape of a comma. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bottoms up--western yellowjacket moves away from the camera. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bottoms up--western yellowjacket moves away from the camera. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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