Michael Goodisman is digging up the dirt on yellow jackets' peculiar lives by studying their nests, behavior, and genetic make-up. With support from the National Science Foundation, he is getting a better understanding of what drives their complex family relationships. Yellow jackets, like honey bees and fire ants, exist in a sophisticated social hierarchy. Unlike other animals that travel in packs or swim together, these social insects will literally sacrifice their own survival in support of their hives, nests, and colonies.
