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Yellow Jackets at Pinecrest Lake

PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:29 pm
by huynguyen1
Does anyone know what the yellow jacket situation is like at Pinecrest Lake or the greater area? Should I expect a lot of them when I visit in a couple of weeks? My son has been stung two years in a row at the Russian River, so it's a thing for us to be aware of now unfortunately.

Re: Yellow Jackets at Pinecrest Lake

PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 6:38 am
by AlmostThere
It's hit and miss. I avoid taking pungent meats to eat and generally avoid encounters. The times we have had issues with them, it's usually when someone brought tuna or some sort of meat. My mom took us camping all the time in the Sierra and called them "meat bees" as that was what typically brought them out of the woodwork.

Re: Yellow Jackets at Pinecrest Lake

PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 2:18 pm
by Phil
And yellow jackets don't sting, they bite, so they can come back for more flesh as many times as they like. I guess that's a mere technicality when you're on the receiving end, though. Bait them with something smelly that's a fair distance away from you and your camp and they'll leave you bee. A small can of smoked baby oysters is a great attractant that'll keep them busy for days and off you if you only slightly crack the lid a little and make them take turns. However, bears like them too.