Journal entry for Saturday, June 30, 2001

Today's summary: An adventure with yellowjackets.

I'm not sure if they were technically yellowjackets or what. They definitely weren't honeybees. But... I'm getting ahead of myself.

I wake up. Go to the slider and open the blinds. But, there's a guy standing on our balcony. Keep in mind that we live on the third floor...

So I go get some clothes on, go back to the door. Talk to the guy. Turns out he'll be painting the balcony this weekend, and he needs me to clear some stuff out of the way. Okay, I can do that. He goes away, jumps over the railing like Spiderman and vanishes.

Problem is, that's where I work on all my large scale sculpture, and as a result there's plenty of junk out there. So I'm working on it, I step on a piece of steel mesh grating and as I stumble I manage to cut up BOTH of my feet. Augh!

So I'm hobbling around, but I keep working, and finish clearing the place out. I go to grab that one last box... and... about two dozen yellowjackets (or whatever they were) come roaring out of there.

I dash back into the apartment and close the door, of course. Still limping, too. So I'm peering out at these angry yellowjackets, who are guarding their box (which presumably has a nest in it). Trying to figure out what to do. Also trying to figure out how the heck I could have worked on that porch for hours on end without seeing any yellowjackets.

Finally I grab a piece of thin PVC pipe, reach outside, and knock the box off the balcony, over the railing to the ground. The yellowjackets are of course, completely flipping out... but I'm sorry, guys, I just DON'T want you breeding on my porch. Off limits.

So, now this box + nest is on the ground and this small swarm is on my balcony.

I figure I can't leave the box down there since some kids and/or painters might stumble across it. Besides, it's littering. And I don't think I have any bug spray, so I go downstairs, armed with spraypaint and my PVC pipe. I shoo the yellowjackets still near the box away, tap on it a few times so any who can fly are long gone. Spray the inside of the box thoroughly. Sorry, but...

I go back upstairs to get a big trash bag to put this box in, look under the sink... and there's the trash bags, right next to a big can of Raid. Augh. Forgot I had that. Well, whatever...

So, I bag the box up gingerly and take it to the dumpster. The bee-yellowjacket-wasp-whatevers are still on the porch, all upset.

Big adventure. And I didn't get stung, and at least the adult yellowjackets survived.