Scavengers: Eating Nature''s Trash

Fascinating insects, yellow jackets are aggressive wasps that like to eat rotting fruits and meat. Many people fear yellow jackets for their reputation as quick to sting. Yet they are just trying to protect themselves and their nests. Inside the nest are larvae that they care for and feed and which, in turn, provide adult yellow jackets with food for part of their lives. Once the larvae grow up, the food source disappears and so yellow jackets head out looking for sweet juices found in rotting fruit and soda cans. Readers will learn a lot more about yellow jackets and what else they eat when they are not scavenging.