On Thu, 14 Feb 2002, Dave Pehling wrote:

> Are you SURE they are "yellow jackets" (_Vespula sp._)?  Sounds more like
> a winter aggregation of paper wasps (_Polistes sp._).  Yellow jackets are
> supposed to die out over winter except for solitary queens which
> overwinter in protected places.  Papers wasps overwinter in aggregations
> of siblings.

And, _boy_ do you want to shake out those gloves you left in the
shed last fall! (What a bummer, to put on the bee suit and find
the gloves full of paper wasps, who were most indignant at the
intrusion of 5 fingers into their happy shelter!)

Susan
--
Susan Nielsen                   | Beehive: If you build it,
[log in to unmask]            | they will comb.