Surprise!

This morning I went out to fill the bird feeder and when I reached up under the squirrel guard...

I was introduced to some new residents who didn't like my intrusion.

Fortunately I was only stung once on my ring finger, which now looks like a small sausage. Unlike the bee, yellow jackets are capable of stinging many times, so I count this as a warning.

I am pretty lenient in letting nature's creatures set up house where ever they want outside. Predatory wasps kill a lot of bad bugs and help in pollination. Often times they will recognize the human inhabitants as they come and go and leave them alone (but beware the visitor!) However, in this case, I must reach under here every day to fill the feeder, so unfortunately this nest will need to be removed. By Farmer Rick.