Yellow Jackets as Landscape Architects

Earlier today Jonathon got stung by a yellow jacket. It was his first insect sting and he responded as he does to most other tragic moments- he wailed “MAAAAAAMA!” I calmly waited at the door for him to arrive. He showed me the sting- just below his thumbnail and then I asked him what happened…

“I got stung.”, he said.
“yes, but where were you?”
“I was by the tree that the bug flew out of a hole in the ground and stung me!”

Well, I put some medicine on it and covered it with a band-aid, hoping that would distract him from the sting. Of course, periodically throughout the rest of the morning, he would tell me it hurt.

Later in the day Brandon was outside and having heard about Jonathon’s sting, he asked him to show where he got stung. Jonathon took him over to a tree in the front yard and from there it was obvious to Brandon where the yellow jackets were coming from…they OBVIOUSLY had placed several sticks sticking straight up in the opening to their home as decoration….those smart things! Of course…perhaps someone else put them there….

Ha! Jonathon deserved it!