My training in ecology has taught me that everything is connected to everything else and all plants and animals play a role in the functioning of the community in which they dwell. Every now and then, however, there is a critter of one sort or another that challenges this idea.

Last summer yellow jackets invaded the spa on a daily basis, attacking unattended plates of nachos and chicken, and far too often, stinging guests. As the complaints and concerns rolled in I cursed the little yellow carnivorous wasp. I questioned how and why this relatively small airborne pest could wreak such havoc on our quaint, little natural oasis. And I mistakenly questioned its role in this community.

I was charged, along with several others, to figure out how to reduce or even eliminate the “Yellow Jacket Problem” from Glen Ivy Hot Springs so we’d be prepared by the time this summer rolled around. I began by researching everything I could about these dynamic little flyers with the voracious appetite, learning that these insects are actually considered beneficial for their roles in the decomposition process and their predatory practices against far more destructive insects that attack plants. We already love our honey bees and do our best to care for them while also protecting our guests so it was only natural that we take a proactive step toward managing our yellow jacket population as member of a healthy, thriving eco-system, making the best of their valuable efforts while minimizing their harmful side effects.

Here’s some insight into what we were doing, what we learned, and what we’re doing this year:

Last year: Traps were hung throughout the spa to attract and trap yellow jackets.
What we learned: The yellow jackets were not fooled to enter the one-way doors of the clear plastic tubes, but still drawn to them, thus luring them into guest areas.
This year: Baiting has been set up on the far edges of the property well away from guests and their delicious nachos, chicken and lasagna.

Last year: Food scraps dumped into trashcans attracted many yellow jackets.
What we learned: The smart little critters will return to the source of their sustenance for weeks following its removal.
This year: Lids have been installed on every trash can to keep wasps from getting in.

Last year: We searched high and low for yellow jacket nests never finding a single one.
What we learned: Yellow jackets like to use abandoned burrows left behind by gophers, voles and other ground dwelling animals.
This year: A plant-based bait that doesn’t have secondary risks to other animals was used and ground burrows and cavities where yellow jackets like to nest were sealed to prevent yellow jackets colonies from flourishing.

This year we are proud to provide a nearly yellow jacket-free oasis on the edge of a canyon where healing hot and cold waters flow from deep beneath the Santa Ana Mountains into our many pools for your enjoyment. We were so delighted to learn the many things we did about yellow jackets all while improving the quality of experience for you, our guests, and at the same time protecting and practicing responsible stewardship of the land.

While we don’t expect to you to exactly “love” yellow jackets, we do hope that you feel a little more in the know about these bright yellow friends and how to live more harmoniously with them. So, come and enjoy the Hot Springs, and may the only sting you feel be the refreshing and rejuvenating jolt of our cold plunge as you submerge yourself in the 65 degree water!

Patrick Mitchell
Glen Ivy’s Director of Landscapes & Sustainability