in my nature notebook

 A couple of weeks ago I noticed what I thought was ANOTHER chipmunk hole in my backyard. Yet something was flying into it. As I watched, I realized that yellow jackets were building within in the hole. I made a mental note to tell the family since we know by experience that wasp stings are painful and one might happen to inadvertently step on this colony while mowing the law or some such.  On returning this week to look at the hole, which had been no more than 2 inches in diameter, I found a hole 10-12 inches across and the dirt from something digging piled at its bottom. There were no yellow jackets to be seen.  Checking the internet for natural predators of wasps (who would dare??) I found that skunks and bears both like to eat the young.  So that leaves me thankful to be without the menace of the yellow jackets but musing over which predator would I prefer?  hmm... I am drawing this bad boy. 

---

Fig. 6 Cutaway view of underground yellowjacket nest (Courtesy Arthur Antonelli, Washington State University)

---