A couple of days ago, while it was rainy out and the birds weren't coming to our feeders, anyway, I put the bird seed feeders through the dishwasher. Yesterday, with a good day in the offing, I filled the seed feeders and installed them on their poles. Today, another sunny and even warmer day (it was 58 degrees F the last I looked), I noticed bunches of yellow jackets going into the ports on one feeder - the feeder that holds "junk" food that I happened to find in the cabinet but which I don't normally stock. That food is a mixture of "undesirable" seeds and even contains cracked corn. What's up? I took my little point-and-shoot camera out, held it above my head to take some photos, and snapped a few frames.
Putting the SD into its slot on my computer, the only frame that was even close to being in focus was the one displayed below. Most of the little bees (you're allowed to correct me if they are not yellow jackets) were out of range of the photo. I think the bees are carrying off bits of corn (doesn't the one on the right appear to be clutching a bit in its hind legs?) - to whence and why, I don't know. Perhaps someone can enlighten me?
That's news to me that they would take the corn but certainly looks like it and they do look like yellow jackets. The ones here we had could never have gotten a kernel of corn in the tiny entrance hole they were trying to set up on the side of our house. I wouldn't think the sweetness of the corn you would have been putting out as bird feed could have been accessed by them. Were they going to soak the kernels in water to soften them up and would that release any sweetness? I'd think it would have long since been all dried up.
Posted by: Joared | February 05, 2021 at 12:01 AM
That bird seed mix includes cracked corn rather than whole kernel corn, so the bees could get to the germ and/or endosperm - or whatever else part of the kernel that attracted them.
Posted by: Cop Car | February 05, 2021 at 09:12 AM
Weird that the bees would go for corn, but hey, you gotta work with what is around. They are a high carb food, so maybe they can convert it to sugar.
Posted by: bogie | February 05, 2021 at 05:24 PM
They are making mash to ferment? (Your yellow jackets could teach them how!) I've not seen the bees since the day that I took the photo. They shouldn't be out this early in the season, of course.
Posted by: Cop Car | February 06, 2021 at 09:21 AM
The yellow jackets didn't ferment the pears - I let them sit too long and they fermented themselves :D
Posted by: bogie | February 07, 2021 at 05:16 AM
Should have mentioned that I would report this to HH's physician, just as a precaution. They should be reporting any side effects to the CDC. Hopefully his physician has a website or portal that a picture can be sent along with a description of the reaction so that you can present it as information only and not something that needs a visit.
Posted by: bogie | February 12, 2021 at 02:46 AM
Thanks for the suggestion, Bogie. Yes, HH also has access to a portal to our medical office. (Both of our primary care physicians are partners in the same office.) I'm fairly sure that HH, himself, has never accessed the portal; but, I check it after the rare occasion on which he has been in to see his physician. That's the only way I know what's going on since HH prefers to make his visits, alone. That's how I discovered that his blood workups weren't quite as good as I had been led to believe. I don't nag HH about that, but it has made a difference in how I try to feed him.
Posted by: Cop Car | February 12, 2021 at 07:52 AM