They are much worse this year. The NJ ones aren't as bad as yours, but they're bad enough. I've been cleaning up under some trees, and everytime I turn up some half-rotted wood, they zoom in and investigate.This is their nutty time, though - around here, they are omnipresent and insane in early fall. Nasty little buggers.

yeah.. its that time of year..

and they are feeding on falling rotting fruit.. which is otherwise known as FERMENTED ..

they are all stoned ... and they seem to be confused that i am not a flower ...

God i cant wait for the first freeze ...

ken

Haven't seen a single one this year.

Already had a freeze in mid-Sept not sure if that had anything to do with it. Usually they are out and about in late August though.

I think I've only seen 2 so far they along with honey bees are absent this year. Mostly bumbles and other unidentified bees are what we have.

Annette

I've been stung twice this year just because they can"t watch were their flying. Also had a first this year. Hubby and I were climbing up our ravine, he made it up but I used my hands and managed to stick them into a yellow jacket nest. Screamed for a hand up. Next word was runnnnnn. Believe me there's nothin pretty about a 60 year old lady ripping off her clothes will streaking towards her house. That nest no longer exists but it hasn't made a dent in their numbers. The nerve trying to kill the gardener that feeds them. How ever I love bumbles their so peaceful.

Yes, the bumblebees don't bother me. They kind of amuse me. In fact, I always have this HUGE urge to pet them, but I don't. Probably a good thing.

Kevin

Haven't been to bad this year and we hit 28 degrees last Sunday morning, saw a couple dead ones.

I haven't noticed that they were unusually bad this year, but honestly I really have not been out in the garden much at all this year.

I did get stung earlier this summer - only the second time in my life I was stung. The darn thing snuck up on me from behind - never saw it so I'm not even sure what stung me, but I'm guessing since I was sitting on the ground it was a yellow jacket. But other than that unfortunate incident, I have thankfully not noticed them.

Dee

I have been fortunate in that I have seen few yellow jackets and few mosquitoes this year. Others have complained about mosquitoes but I haven't been bitten more than once or twice all summer/fall. Gnats are out and biting now, worse than mosquitoes for me.

No. I did get stung once this summer but I'm not sure if it was a wasp or a honey-bee - flying insects were ALL OVER my dwarf oakleaf hydrangea blossoms and I was doing some work in the area and got nailed. Only got stung once, so it was probably a bee, not a wasp (but that's only an assumption, I was too busy hurling expletives to take notice what it actually was, but man the sting BURNED)

Patty - LOL!! (at the streaking part, not the hand in the nest part)

Sorry you have so many. I am always on the lookout for even just one since I disturbed a nest once while weeding and where there is one... Sort of like Pattyw, I went screaming across the yard to the hose with those nasty things stinging me under my hat, the cuffs of my gardening gloves, and anywhere else they could reach. I hate them. Don't mind bees at all.

weirdly, wasps have been fairly absent this summer although I did see one amazing bee versus wasp battle - they were locked onto each other, whirling round like a furious buzzing dustball - quite astonishing. The bout lasted about 30 seconds when they both separated and flew off in opposite directions. Got stung twice by bees to my sorrow but, in truth, I also rather admire wasps as top insect predators.

I cannot imagine reaching into a nest. Just one freaks me out, much less that many!

They're bad here too. I was trying to put some final plants into the ground and they kept landing on me and hanging out. No fun.

Did not get stung by one yet though. A honey bee got me earlier this year, unfortunately, because it was my fault. The dog got into the flower bed and I was working on the opposite side of the fence and leaned over it to toss him out and did not realize there was a bee right on the fence. My stomach looked like a bulls eye target for the next several days.

This year hasn't been a bad one for us. Last year, however, between DH and me, we managed to disturb 5 or 6 nests, including one 6' from the front door in the middle of our front garden. DH ran over a couple while mowing, which they really don't like.

Kevin, I was thinking of you and this thread this morning. While, as I mentioned above, the yellow jackets have not been exceptionally bad in my yard, this morning we had our CT plant swap and man oh man were the yellow jackets annoying! They were everywhere, in the plants, in the food, in our hair, in our faces... ugh.

Dee

Dee

Outside eating has to be the worst thing right now. Everyone wants to take advantage of the extended, beautiful weather and eat outside, but those flying, torture machines make it nearly impossible.

I got nothing done outside today. I got kind of a late start and by 9:30 am they were flying in my face and landing on my hands, so I had to go inside. By next weekend we should have highs only in the 40's and 50's, so maybe that will slow them down. I just love draining the pond when temps are in the 40's. What a treat!

Kevin

I've been stung twice this year just because they can"t watch were their flying. Also had a first this year. Hubby and I were climbing up our ravine, he made it up but I used my hands and managed to stick them into a yellow jacket nest. Screamed for a hand up. Next word was runnnnnn. Believe me there's nothin pretty about a 60 year old lady ripping off her clothes will streaking towards her house. That nest no longer exists but it hasn't made a dent in their numbers. The nerve trying to kill the gardener that feeds them. How ever I love bumbles their so peaceful.