Nesting this summer (2024) under the front porch. Here are some photos of one that I caught leaving the nest. I cooled it in the fridge, took its photo, and released it. Not sure of the sex.
And here's a photo of one in action from the yard.
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10,000 THINGS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
iNaturalist: Latah County
Wikipedia
BugGuide
Vespula alascensis
(Alaska Yellowjacket)
Entered house, probably from the nest under the front porch. There are a few still hanging around even though the low temperatures are near freezing.
Vespula alascensis
(Alaska Yellowjacket)
On front porch. Hanging out near entrance to the nest.
Vespula alascensis
(Alaska Yellowjacket)
An injured individual on the front porch
Vespula alascensis
(Alaska Yellowjacket)
Processing a food item on the deck before returning to the nest under the porch
Vespula alascensis
(Alaska Yellowjacket)
Nesting under porch
Vespula alascensis
(Alaska Yellowjacket)
On kitchen counter, 16 mm
Vespula alascensis
(Alaska Yellowjacket)
Vespula alascensis
(Alaska Yellowjacket)
A nest under the front porch
Alaska Yellowjackets (Vespula alascensis) have been nesting under our front porch this summer (2024). Sometime in the spring, we noticed a few of them entering a gap in the planks next to the front door. Their numbers have grown since then, but since they seem to mind their own business we let them continue to build their nest and feed their young under the porch.
At various times during the end of July and the beginning of August, I watched the wasps entering and leaving the nest, using a stopwatch to measure the amount of time it took for 100 to enter the nest. It averaged about 5 minutes, which would amount to more than 14,000 visits in a twelve-hour day.
Although I have no way of knowing what the wasps are bringing to the nest, Alaska Yellowjackets are polyphagous - eating insects and other arthropods, along carrion, fruit, and nectar. So I suppose that many of these feedings are from insects captured in the yard or surrounding neighborhood.
I was away from home during the last three weeks of September. I fully expected all of the yellow jackets that were nesting under the porch to be gone by the time I returned on October 6. But they were still there, going in and out of the nest as before. There were even a few today, after we've had several nights where the temperature has dropped to below freezing. There aren't as many, some dead ones are scattered around, and the ones that are there seem to be acting a bit frantic. One entered the house as I was entering. I'll see if I can catch it and get a photo of it.
5 Sep 2024The nest still seems to be functioning normally. Maybe even a bit more activity than before, with 100 visits in 2 minutes and 55 seconds.
15 Aug 2024I haven't counted the number of wasps entering the nest in a few days, but the activity seems about the same today as it was last time I counted. 100 entering in 5 minutes and 12 seconds.
I also didn't notice any difference in their behavior. But that should change soon as the fall approaches.
8 Aug 2024 at 1:15 pmOkay, I guess I was wrong about that. I just counted 100 wasps entering the nest in only 3 minutes and 35 seconds. And they all seemed like normal business-like workers. It was a bit warmer, but that's the only difference I know of from the previous data this morning.
30 deg C, sunny
8 Aug 2024 at 10:15 amIt seems like something has happened at the nest lately. Only 28 wasps entered the nest in 10 minutes. I also saw some unusual interaction between several wasps as they came out on the porch. Are males and future queens beginning to emerge?
10:15 am, 26 deg C, sunny
7 Aug 202410:00 AM: 100 wasps entered in 3 minutes and 30 seconds
25 deg C, sunny
5 Aug 20249:24 AM: 100 entered nest in 4 minutes and 45 seconds.
23° C, cloudy, just after a light rain
1 Aug 20241:07 PM: 100 entered the nest in 5 minutes and 49 seconds.
31 Jul 20246:20 PM: 100 entered nest in 6 minutes and 22 seconds
30 Jul 202411:20 AM: 100 entered nest in 5 minutes and 47 seconds.
29 Jul 20241:07 PM: 100 entered nest in 5 minutes and 49 seconds
A field trip to Spring Valley Reservoir
On 2 August 2024, I went on a field trip to Spring Valley Reservoir. Just south of the trail on the north side of the lake, I saw a rather large hole in the ground with wasps entering and leaving. I took a few photos and posted them on iNaturalist. They were identified as Alaska Yellowjackets (Vespula alascensis) - the same species that is nesting under our porch.
Here are some photos.
