Posts Tagged: 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)

Quit Mimicking Me!

Last weekend a little critter made its first-ever appearance in our family bee garden. It was neither a grand entrance nor a grand...

This wasp mimic is actually a fly, genus Ceriana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This wasp mimic is actually a fly, genus Ceriana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Davis photographer Allan Jones captured this fantastic image of the wasp mimic, Ceriana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Davis photographer Allan Jones captured this fantastic image of the wasp mimic, Ceriana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This is a Western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanic, which looks a lot like the wasp mimic, genus Ceriana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This is a Western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanic, which looks a lot like the wasp mimic, genus Ceriana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This is a European paper wasp, Polistes dominula. A syrphid fly mimics this. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This is a European paper wasp, Polistes dominula. A syrphid fly mimics this. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Not What You Want in Your Drink

On an outing last Saturday to a Marin County restaurant, we spotted half-filled glasses lining a railing near the picnic tables. As the guests dined...

Yellowjackets are attracted to this plastic container. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Yellowjackets are attracted to this plastic container. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of yellow jackets. They soon climbed out and flew away. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of yellow jackets. They soon climbed out and flew away. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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