About this episode
Late summer brings not just honey harvests but also the return of yellow jackets. For many beekeepers, their sudden appearance can spark concern—or outright dread—around the bee yard. In this episode, Jeff and Becky sit down with Dr. Richard Zack, professor of entomology at Washington State University, to unpack the truth about these misunderstood wasps. Rich shares fascinating insights into yellow jacket biology, their annual colony cycle, and why they turn up at apiaries during nectar dearth. He explains the differences between yellow jackets, wasps, hornets, and honey bees, and why their carnivorous diets can actually make them beneficial predators in many ecosystems. The conversation covers practical tips for beekeepers, including seasonal control strategies, entrance reduction, and why strong honey bee colonies can easily fend off these opportunistic scavengers. By the end, you may look at yellow jackets a little differently—as part of the natural balance rather than the enemy of your hives. Websites from the episode and others we recommend: Referenced BTP Episode with Yellow Jacket Collector Zach Techner: https://www.beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/s4e13 Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org The National Honey Board: https://honey.com Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com Copyright © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC ______________ Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers . See for yourself at www.betterbee.com This episode is brought to you by Global Patties ! Global offers a variety of standard and custom patties. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode! Thanks to Bee Smart Designs as a sponsor of this podcast! Bee Smart Designs is the creator of innovative, modular and interchangeable hive systems made in the USA using recycled and American sourced materials. Bee Smart Designs - Simply better beekeeping for the modern beekeeper. Thanks to Dalan who is dedicated to providing transformative animal health solutions to support a more sustainable future. Dalan's vaccination against American Foulbrood (AFB) is a game changer. Vaccinated queens protect newly hatched honeybee larvae against AFB using the new Dalan vaccine. Created for queen producers and other beekeepers wanting to produce AFB free queens. Retailers offering vaccinated queens and packages: https://dalan.com/order-vaccinated-queens/ More information on the vaccine: https://dalan.com/media-publications/ Thanks to Strong Microbials for their support of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Find out more about their line of probiotics in our Season 3, Episode 12 episode and from their website: https://www.strongmicrobials.com Thanks for Northern Bee Books for their support. Northern Bee Books is the publisher of bee books available worldwide from their website or from Amazon and bookstores everywhere. They are also the publishers of The Beekeepers Quarterly and Natural Bee Husbandry . _______________ We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com Thank you for listening! Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents ; Epilogue by Musicalman ; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus ; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse ; Wedding Day by Boomer ; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music ; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart ; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott. Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC Copyright © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC