I don't mind working with and handling wolves, bears, lions, or rattlesnakes. I've done it most of my life. However, when it comes to yellowjackets or bald-faced hornets, I fully understand the concept of phobias. I don't like 'em a bit and scream and run away like a little girl.

A few years ago in interior Alaska, though, I witnessed a weird raven feeding behavior. For years, I assumed the torn up hornet nests were due to bears, then I watched ravens doing fly-by's on nests, and figured out what was going on. The ravens would fly erratically through the tree canopies, reach their beaks off to the side, and rip the hornet nests open. Then they would spiral down the ground where the nest eggs and larva had fallen, and they would eat. The angry mobs of hornets would be buzzing around the ripped up nest up in the tree, and wouldn't go down on the ground where the birds were feeding. Seemed to be a pretty decent feeding strategy.


Bald-faced hornet tree nest.



Yellowjacket tree nest.



Hornet nest torn open by raven.

Trapstickman has had his share of encounters but is not afraid to collect some of their dwellings:

Can you tell one nest form the other without seeing the critters???? Does one species make a slightly different nest, can you tell them apart?.....jk

Can you tell one nest form the other without seeing the critters???? Does one species make a slightly different nest, can you tell them apart?.....jk