We who serve or have served in the military certainly know a lot about "battles." But, are we aware of what's going on around us in the form of micro-battles in nature?
At our house we love to watch hummingbirds fly to an fro getting nectar which we place inside a glass feeder hung near our back porch. The little guys have become used to us, and even come to feed when we're sitting nearby watching. They tend to be very territorial, however, and when another hummingbird comes to feed, they often try to drive each other away. However, that's nothing like the territorial battles they have with Yellow Jackets.
Yellow Jackets are on my most disliked list of critters in nature. A couple of years ago I disturbed one of their in-ground nests while using a weed eater, and got stung numerous times...making for a painful time for a day or so. I learned to be more careful afterwards and look for signs of nests before doing my yard chores. I also attack their nests with various remedies to kill their nests...which I will not describe in detail because some might say I am not being environmentally sound pertaining to what I use to kill them in-ground. My solution works and that's enough for me. Anyway, I do not like wasps of any sort, but Yellow Jackets are at the top of my list in that regard. Hummingbirds do not like them either.
Our backyard feeder attracts both of these enemies, so it's to be expected there will be battles going on all the time. The hummingbirds zoom in, get a fast drink, then quickly back off hovering in space waiting until the also feeding wasps get out of the way. I learned that Yellow Jackets can and do sting hummingbirds, but I have never seen that happen. What I do see everyday is a back and forth rush to get to the sweet nectar first...sometimes the hummingbirds win out, sometimes its the wasps. I always root for the hummingbirds.
Meanwhile, I do my job by seeking out and destroying as many in-ground wasp nests as I can find. Yes, I know that wasps such as Yellow Jackets have a purpose in killing other insects, plant pollination and so forth and I ought to "let nature be" and not interfere. But, any critter that is an enemy of hummingbirds is an enemy of mine...for life!
