Giant yellow jacket nests found in Alabama

Giant yellow jacket nest

A "giant" or perennial yellow jacket nest on the exterior of a home in Chilton County, Alabama. Researchers say when workers survive the winter, it can lead to formation of these massive nests with multiple queens. This nest was found near Thorsby in 2006.Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Alabama residents should be on the lookout in 2019 for “giant” yellow jacket nests that could be several feet across and contain hundreds of thousands of workers, according to entomologists at the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Researchers with the Extension and Auburn University have already confirmed two such nests in Alabama this year, and issued a news release Friday warning that there are likely others out there.

Charles Ray, an Extension entomologist and research fellow at Auburn University, said most yellow jacket nests are located in the ground, or in small cavities and have at most 4,000 to 5,000 workers. Usually, all the workers die out over the winter, with only the fertilized queens surviving to disperse and create new colonies the next year.

Sometimes the workers do survive the winter, which can lead them to create the massive perennial nest complexes that can contain multiple queens and hundreds of thousands of yellow jackets.

“We have found them attached to home exteriors and other places you might not expect to find yellow jackets," Ray said. "The most workers I have counted in a perennial nest is about 15,000 or about 3 to 4 times more than a normal nest.

“However, one nest in South Carolina was documented with more 250,000 workers.”

Researchers believe the combination of a mild winter and readily available food supply may lead to the creation of these perennial nests, but aren’t sure exactly what other factors may be involved.

Ray said that in 2006, Alabama researchers documented 90 perennial yellow jacket nests in various locations across the state, reaching as far north as Talladega County. With two confirmed nests already in May and a third suspected nest found, Alabama is already ahead of the 2006 pace. The first perennial nest that year wasn’t reported until June 13.

“If we are seeing them a month sooner than we did in 2006, I am very concerned that there will be a large number of them in the state," Ray said. "The nests I have seen this year already have more than 10,000 workers and are expanding rapidly.”

If you see one

If you see what you suspect might be a perennial yellow jacket nest, Ray said first and foremost, don’t go near it.

“While these giant nests often appear less aggressive than smaller colonies, it is important that people do not disturb the nests," he said.

Next, Ray wants people to contact him so he can document the nest and collect insect specimens. People should contact him by email at raychah@auburn.edu.

Finally, if people need to have nests removed, Ray says it is a task only for licensed commercial pest control operators. He warns that even some commercial operators will not tackle these giant perennial yellow jacket nests.

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