(Editor's Note: Previous columns have related Jerry Robinson's battles with stinging yellow jackets and the suggestions he has received to combat them. The saga continues in this week's column.)

Letter I got from a Pro I contacted who has an ad in the Robinson Newspapers (category 448):

Sorry to hear that you were stung. It's too bad in a way; they really don't want to do that. I would imagine that you got tangled up with them accidentally.

Most of the time when people have problems (stings) with the social wasps it is by accident. There really isn't any rocket science here, just stay out of their way and leave them alone.

Yellow jackets are a species of wasp the true scientists (not experts) have classified as being social. There is something the workers are about-they have an assignment, which doesn't include just peeling off from their mission and chasing something around for awhile and then getting back on the "beam."

It won't "work" that way.

Great to hear you're doing an article about yellow jackets. I know you can go on-line and get all kinds of info about these creatures

Recently there was an article about how to prepare oneself to go camping: Getaway section insert in the P-I.

Whoever wrote the article was quoting a North Cascades park ranger (in much bolder text), something to the effect that "gittin tangled up with them yellow jackets was much worse than tangling with a bear."

He was referencing an experience he had when he stepped on top of or into a nest. Gee, no kidding? Had he fallen into a bear den with a couple of cubs and mamma, he would probably not be around. At least he survived the wasp encounter.

Jerry, thanks again for responding and your interest.

Regards & Cordially,

Doug

P.S. What I do with the venom is collect it properly and preserve it properly by freezing the yellow jackets immediately with dry ice. Ultimately the lab extracts the venom individually by hand-still in a frozen state. The venom is used for immunotherapy.