Floweraddict
I had my run-ins with yellow jackets when I worked on the seismic crews (oil search) years ago. Same thing, concealed nests. I have NEVER been stung by them, or anything else, in the garden. Along part of the center path, we have a trellis of Codonopsis pilosula, aka Dang-shen. It's a chinese medicinal herb referred to as "poor man's ginseng". A climbing perennial vine with greenish white, bell shaped
flowers, fairly good looking, but not spectacular. The yellow jackets absolutely love the
flowers. They are in them constantly. They never bothered us, even when we bumped the trellis! It would seem that, unless you disturb the nest or actually harm one of them, they are not at all agressive. After seeing their feeding habits, I'll do all I can to welcome them, especially planting things they like. I'd like to find a good book on identifying wasps, with color pictures. Seen so many different kinds in the last few years that I can't identify. They are the best "insecticide" I've got!
Rick
taught me NOT to smack it or chase it away. As I held still, the yellow jacket flew to the cauliflower head that was in my other hand. It landed on a cabbage worm that was in the head, an started biting the worm. This biting went on for nearly 30 seconds until the cabbage worm finally had to let go of the cauliflower. The yellow jacket then carried the worm back to the Fennel