Yellow Jackets on my yellow plum tomatoes

[GreeneGarden]

For the last couple of weeks I have been finding yellow jackets all over my yellow tomatoes. Yesterday I went to pick one and got stung. I always grow these tomatoes but this is the first year I've had bees on them. Has any one else had this problem?

[microcollie]

Sorry about the sting, but in the big picture, yellow jackets are a beneficial insect, as they prey on many garden pests. You may want to give you tomato plants a thorough inspection to see if there's anything there that might be attracting them.
They build new nests each year, so there could be a nest somewhere nearby, which would explain why you haven't seen them in years past.

[gumbo2176]

A week ago my wife was hit 3 times by yellow jackets while picking cucumbers. I did find 3 separate nests when I pulled the vines a couple days later prior to replanting new cucumber plants. I also found a couple several weeks ago in my pole bean patch.


Just this morning while finishing up yard work I saw where some bushkiller vine that has gotten out of control was hanging over my fence from a neighbor's yard. While trying to cut it, a huge swarm of yellow jackets took flight. I got a rake and moved the vine enough to see a nest about the size of a baseballl under the foliage. I've had my share of them this year and their sting can be quite painful.

I do like them flying around the garden since they are beneficial, but running into a whole nest of them is another thing entirely.