Yellow Jacket Information
Biology and Behavior

What is a Yellow Jacket?

Yellow Jackets are often considered the most dangerous Stinging Insects in the United States. Yellowjackets have a lance-like stinger without barbs and can sting repeatedly whereas Honey Bees have a Barbed Stinger and sting only once. Mouthparts are well-developed for capturing and chewing insects with a tongue for sucking nectar, fruit and other juices. Yellow Jacket Nests are built in trees, shrubs or in protected places such as inside human-made structures (attics, hollow walls or flooring, in sheds, under porches and eaves of houses), or in soil cavities, mouse burrows, etc. Nests are made from wood fiber chewed into a paper-like pulp. Yellow Jackets are hunters of other insects and will also scavenge for other sources of nutrition, especially sweets, fruits, ice cream, beer and soft drinks. The persistent foraging of Yellow Jackets at Picnics and other outdoor activities produces many calls from homeowners and businesses.

What do Yellow Jackets look like?

A typical Yellow Jacket Worker is about 1/2-inch long, short and blocky, with alternating black and yellow bands on the abdomen. Workers are sometimes confused with honey bees, especially when flying in and out of their nests.

Do Yellow Jackets Sting?

Yellow Jackets can and will sting repeatably. This is a small yet very Aggressive Bee and should be handled by a Bee Professional. Yellow Jackets may be one of the Smallest Bee but they are definably the most aggressive and if they attack they always bring help.

What are the signs of me having Yellow Jackets?

Signs are Bees coming and going constantly from an area and a Grey Paper Wrapped Bulbous Nest. Another signed could be some in a room of the house usually by a window because they are attracted to the light. Also an over abundance of Yellow Jackets crashing your picnic table.

How did I get Yellow Jackets?

At the end of winter any Fertilized Female Wasps that survived will fly away from the Old Wasp Nest and start another one. This nest can be anywhere. Most houses are suitable for a hive. Hives can be in a hole in the ground, under an eave exposed, in a bush or in a wall void.

Yellow Jacket Control Tips for your home