06/23/2026
Happy Pollinator’s Week
In celebration of Alaska Pollinator Week, entomologist Alex Wenninger took a moment to appreciate one of our most maligned pollinators, the yellowjackets.
She writes that yellowjackets don’t seek pollen as a primary food source for their young as bees do, but they do regularly visit flowers for nectar, which gives them energy for flight, nest-building and hunting for protein to feed to their young.
In addition to their pollination services, yellowjackets are excellent predators of other insects, providing free pest control for our garden. They are excellent scavengers, helping to break down carrion and return those nutrients to the soil.
Read more about yellowjackets on our blog: https://ces.open.uaf.edu/2026/06/22/getting-the-sting-on-alaskas-pollinators-alaska-pollinator-week-2026/