Car-Sized Wasp Nests Appearing in Alabama... Again

Officials in Alabama have issued a buzz-worthy warning to residents about thousands of wasps who are making themselves home in what are called perennial yellow jacket nests - nests that can grow to the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.

Entomologist Charles Ray issued his warning in last month's issue of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, an outreach organization with Alabama A&M University and Auburn University. Ray, who works as a who works as a research fellow in Auburn University’s Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology says in 2006, one nest, a colony of 15,000 yellow jackets, was one of 90 found in Alabama that year.

"The most workers I have counted in a perennial nest is about 15,000 or about 3 to 4 times more than a normal nest," said Ray, “However, one nest in South Carolina was documented with more 250,000 workers."

Ray says the perennial nests can be attached to home exteriors, inside a discarded mattress, and even just on the ground on the field.

"These perennial nests may be several feet wide and have many thousands of workers, far more than an average nest," Ray said.

Normal yellow jacket nests peak at around 4,000 to 5,000 workers that usually don't survive the winter months. The queens disperse and form new colonies in the spring.

Because of the mild winter and an abundant food supply, Ray says he believes Alabama will get another influx of perennial nests this year.

“We confirmed two nests in May and have indications of a third,” he said. “This puts us several weeks earlier than in 2006, when we identified the first giant nest on June 13.

“If we are seeing them a month sooner than we did in 2006, I am very concerned that there will be a large number of them in the state. The nests I have seen this year already have more than 10,000 workers and are expanding rapidly.”

Homeowners who believe they've got a perennial nest attached to their house should not touch it, and call a professional, licensed pest control operator to come deal with it.

"While these giant nests often appear less aggressive than smaller colonies," Ray said. "It is important that people do not disturb the nests."

Photo: Charles Ray, Auburn University's Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.