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Dolichovespula maculata
Black and white bee with only a minimum of white stripes toward the tail, making a paper nest.
Nest hanging on a low-hanging branch of an apple tree, near a raspberry patch.
Going to make harvesting these apples interesting! Last year there were similar bees constructing a nest nearby in August, though it was on the ground (still some paper); those had a few more white stripes on the abdomen, and were identified as "blackjackets" (Vespula consobrina). Since these look different and the nest is hanging, I'm assuming they're a different species. This nest suddenly appeared in late August and has been growing rapidly. I believe them to be an aerial species of yellowjackets.
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