Lots of wasps

Observation: Increased number of hives seen in area, in village and in the creeks up on the trees. The hives are grey in color, big as a bowling ball with a hole at the bottom. Rather unusual to see so many hives and bees this year. What kind of environmental conditions are needed to increase the number of a bees and bee species? Mary Apokedak

Consult: Jessie Moan at the UAF Cooperative Extension Service for help with identification, she writes: 'As for the "hives", they are nests for wasps, probably in the family Vespidae. These are common types of wasps and as you mentioned in the post there can be several reasons why there may be more of them than normal this year.'

LEO says: Alaska's primary pollinators are native bumble bees, sweat bees andrenid bees, wasps and moths according to the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service, an Introduction to Alaska Insects Pollinators. The USFWS, Alaska Pollinators provides guide. These look like wasp hives. A warm winter is one factor related to the number of wasps during the summer. This because warmer conditions (or lots of insulating snow) are thought to help hibernating queens survive the winter. For more information about the connections between climate change, wasp numbers and insect stings in Alaska, see this article by Dr. Jeffery Demain.