Yellowjackets and apples

The yellow-jackets have been bad this Summer.  Now they are turning their attention to the apple trees. I picked a lot of the Transparent apples as they are ready (and bruise very easily when they fall to the ground).  I planned to wait to pick the apples from the other apple tree as those apples are tart and only sweeten after a hard frost.  However the yellowjackets aren't waiting and are attacking and eating these apples too.  Sunday, in between the rain showers, I picked most of the apples from the "apple pie" tree.

Considering how hot and dry the last half of the Summer has been I am surprised how large the apples grew.  They also ripened a little earlier though the heat made have had something to do with that.


The yellow-jackets mostly ignored me as they were very focused on the apples and would move away from me to get to another apple.  I was stung one my finger once when I grabbed an apple with some yellow-jackets on it that I didn't see.  I was stung by a yellow-jacket trying to get away.  Yes, it hurt.

Sometimes there is only a small hole in an apple's skin and there are a dozen or more yellow-jackets under the skin eating furiously.  I shake the apple and the yellow-jackets are like clown after clown coming out of a small clown car.

The yellow-jackets are so full of food they have trouble flying.  Here they are in the bucket and are having trouble flying out of it.

Here is a 32 second video of a yellow-jacket having trouble getting lift.  "Go, little one, go!  You can do it!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vge9FcQMjJE