Q: I have dug up yellow jacket nests, after killing them, but they usually get torn up in the process. A friend sent me this picture of a nest which was under an AC unit. They didn’t see any insects and were not sure what kind of nest it was.

A: What an awesome picture! It’s an abandoned yellowjacket nest.

Yellowjackets build annual nests and all of the workers die in late fall. Surviving queens spend winter in rotten logs. They emerge in spring and go looking for a protected place to build a home…such as under an AC unit.

Notice the large main entrance path on the lower center and the secondary entrance on the upper right.

This would be a prize exhibit in an elementary school classroom!