I found a nest of bumblebees wrapped in an old blanket on my deck today and less than 6" away was a nest of yellow jackets! In the same box! Talk about a double whammy!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_jacket

 

You would think they wouldn't tolerate each other in such close proximity! I know they didn't tolerate me finding them.

Weird, I thought bees and wasps were sworn enemies?

 

Maybe the wasps set up there seeing a good food source close by, and the bees just kind of had no choice?

With the bees disappearing at an alarming rate, and their golden honey becoming rarer maybe the Wasps are arranging some kind of business deal with them...conspiring to take over the honey market or something haha!

I'm not sure if yellow jackets would prey on bumblebees or not. Yellow jackets will prey on honey bees but bumblebees are quite a bit bigger than yellow jackets and can use their sting over and over just like yellow jackets can. Bumblebees are tough and will bite and scratch as well as sting.