Yellowjacket-- Fun Fact Friday

It's Friday!  And I've decided we need to start some sort of celebratory Friday tradition.  So today I have for you, a fun fact about yellowjackets!  Who knew there was anything fun about yellowjackets right?  I mean other than maybe a yellow RAIN jacket-- then maybe I'd have a fun fact about jumping in mud puddles with the kids.  I am sure my family could give all sorts of fun facts about fashionable yellow jackets, but I'm talking about the wasp (some people call it a bee, but it's a wasp and no, this is not your fun fact).  Here is your Friday Fun Fact:

• You can lessen your attractiveness to yellowjackets if you forego the use of hairspray, perfume, or aftershave and don’t wear bright-colored clothing, especially bright yellow, light blue, red, or orange. Good choices are white or light tan fabrics which are unattractive to them.

Here is a link to more fun facts:  http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com/2009/09/yellowjacket-fun-facts.html

This fun fact was discovered on Farmer Fred Rant written by Fred Hoffman, lifetime master gardener and garden radio host in California. 

In some online and experience based fact checking, the perfumes and scents are a bigger deal than color, although it seems if you wear black and are near their nest you may be perceived as a threat because of natural predators.  Some experts say that yellowjackets do not see the color red and even suggest using a red lens on flashlight when looking for an entrance to a yellowjacket nest.    

Here is another one just for fun because it reminded me of watching Tom and Jerry cartoons.

• If chased by these angry insects, run away in a zig-zag pattern, and seek shelter in a building or automobile. Do not jump in water...they WILL wait for you to surface.

Because yellowjackets tend to fly in straight lines, this seems to be sound advice, as far as the zig-zag run, however, I was not able to determine if yellow jackets will actually wait for you at the surface of the water.