Recently, signs have been posted at the doors of Myrin Library, warning students to avoid the second floor, where chairs block off an area affected by a wasp infestation. The chair boundary has seemingly been ignored by students and wasps alike, as upon examination, students had crossed over the boundary to study and wasps had crossed over the boundary to curl up and die. While the wasps don’t seem to be aggressive, it is quite a sight to see. The majority of them seem to have succumbed to the elements. They lie dead along the windows and the desks, and many cling to the carpet with their legs curled beneath the fibers. As of September 25, the wasp problem has been solved with the assistance of Aardvark Pest Control Services, a pest control company based in Aston Township. Despite this, I took it upon myself to try and find what species of wasps was hiding among the books.
I found a dead wasp and took it to Ursinus professor, Dr. Cody Straub. Together, we looked for characteristics such as the color of antennas, directions of stripes, and variations of color. Basic examination informed us it was a yellow jacket, although there are far more varieties of the species than you’d think. Despite spending 30 minutes looking through a microscope, we could not come to a definitive conclusion as to what species of yellowjacket it was. We both came away from the experience with more knowledge on yellowjacket species local to southeast Pennsylvania. Readers interested in entomology are encouraged to reach out for more detailed photos.
The wasps in question appear to have entered from a hole in a ceiling tile. Wasps have historically been an issue this time of year in Myrin, to the point that the online library catalog has an option for reporting bees and wasps. The building offers a relief from the weather to students and wasps alike. The wasps were unwilling to be questioned on the matter of if they will return next year. As of September 25, the wasp problem has been solved with the assistance of Aardvark Pest Control Services, a pest control company that is based in Aston Township.
There are various types of yellowjackets; some nest aerially while others nest below ground, some pollinate on purpose while others are just vehicles for pollen to move around, and others are a girls soccer team trapped in the Canadian wilderness, it is our yellowjackets that annually haunt the halls of second floor Myrin Library.
