Saturday, September 27, 2014

Largest Yellowjacket Nest?

Saw on NBC tonight about what may be the largest yellowjacket nest ever, discovered under a home in Winter Haven, FL. Says here:

Ruthie Smarte's son first noticed the nest behind her Winter Haven home in March. At the time, it seemed small and nonthreatening, so they thought little of it.

But two of Smarte's cats eventually became apparent victims of the insects as the nest kept growing and growing, and the family realized they needed to do something.

"This thing got big real quick," said Fred Smarte, who worried the bugs could get into the house and attack his mother.

Exterminators from Florida Pest Control arrived at the house Friday to find a nest they said was the largest ever found at a home in the company's 65-year history. It contained between 15,000 and 35,000 yellow jackets and stretched from the crawl space beneath the house outside, where it was fused with an old armchair.

I've been noticing a lot of yellowjackets around here at my current location in sunny Gulfport, and now am doubly watchful for signs of such an infestation. I'm pretty sure the underside of my house and yard is completely owned by Big-headed ants, though.

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