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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Fire guts home on Beekman Street in Medford Since You Asked: Typhoon or hurricane? Depends on who you ask Emergency Services Devastating inferno in Weed leaves behind a blackened town Medford resident plans to fly to 49 state capitals Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Fire guts home on Beekman Street in Medford Emergency Services Weed fire damage rises to 150 structures Weed residents begin to assess damage as crews make progress against flames UPDATE: Blaze in Weed 20 percent contained Politics and Elections Mark L. 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NW Raw Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Weed fire damage rises to 150 structures ... Weed residents begin to assess damage as crews make progress against flames ... United Way sets up fund for Weed fire victims ... Weed fire damage rises to 150 structures ... Weed residents begin to assess damage as crews make progress against flames ... United Way sets up fund for Weed fire victims ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Yellowjackets seem to be less active this year Cold winter, drought, squirrels may have lessened yellowjacket population this summer. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 30, 2014 @ 2:00 am Posted Aug. 30, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Social News I live in East Medford and usually am surrounded with yellowjackets this time of year, but they are not here this year — what happened?  — Jimmy G., Medford   Well Jimmy, this could go under the category: You've escaped those mean little critters thus far, but September is coming.  No month gets under a yellowjacket's skin quite like September.  "That's when their nests are maxed out and they begin foraging like crazy," Rick Hilton, an entomologist at the Oregon State University Experiment Station, told us. That said, there are a variety of anecdotal threads contributing to the general decline of yellowjacket activity, the nasty little creatures that burrow into the ground then attack in droves when you least expect while you're hiking or playing in the yard. Although he doesn't track actual populations, Hilton suggested a couple of scenarios have come into play. One thought is that last December's coldsnap, which produced sub-freezing temperatures here and there around the valley, played a key role. The second, which throws support for greater as well as less activity, is the drier-than-normal year. Hilton said queens often winter in ground cavities such as old rodent borrows before emerging the following spring. How cold is cold enough to lessen the population remains debatable. Secondly, drought drives yellowjackets to seek water. It's doubtful, however, all those nests have migrated to lakes and rivers.The data, on that one, Hilton said, is inconclusive. The ground squirrel population has "gone nuts," Hilton said, perhaps making it harder for yellowjackets to find suitable winter quarters. "Although it's speculative, the cold snap in December is as good of an explanation as I can find." Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 30, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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