WTVM.com and WTVM News Leader 9, Columbus, GA | Giant Yellow Jacket Nest Takes Up Inside of Car

Giant Yellow Jacket Nest Takes Up Inside of Car

Harry Coker collects old cars, and this past May he found a few residents in a '55 Chevy.

"I just happen to look inside the car. I was doing some work in the area and noticed a beehive about the size of a car tire," said Coker, a Tallassee resident.

What he found was a yellow jacket nest. Two months later, it has grown so much it completely fills up the inside of the car. Auburn University researchers say it's probably because of mild temperatures this past winter.

"Two things happen in the winter. One is it normally gets cold enough to kill the yellow jackets. That apparently did not happen," said Dr. Charles Ray, AU Department of Entomology.

It also didn't kill off the food supply. Ray said he's only heard about the super-sized nests because they don't show up in Alabama. Now he's heard of 18 in the last three weeks, and he said you should stay far away from them.

"The numbers of wasps in there have the potential of being life-threatening should you stumble into a nest," said Ray.

Coker has already been stung.

"He actually flew into my mouth, and as I spit him out, he stung me on the upper lip," he said.

Coker said he doesn't know why they built the giant nest in the Chevy.

"The one beside it looks just as good to me for a beehive," said Coker.

After all, it's a "Super Bee." However, Coker can find the silver lining in this cloud.

"It's not fun, but I have noticed I haven't had any tomato worms this year," Coker said.

These nests normally have about 2,000 yellow jackets living in them, and they're usually under ground. However, the super-sized nests can have as many as a quarter of a million workers and multiple queens. Ray said don't try to eliminate the colony on your own, but call a professional pest control company.