Pest profile

Southern Yellowjacket

Vespula squamosa · Hymenoptera: Vespidae[3]

The southern yellowjacket is a ground-nesting yellowjacket of the eastern US whose large, burnt-orange queens often start colonies by taking over eastern yellowjacket nests.[1][2]

Southern yellowjacket queen, large and burnt orange with black and yellow markings, on a window frame
Southern yellowjacket queen, large and burnt orange with black and yellow markings, on a window frame. (c) Cole Shoemaker, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • Workers are small, about 3/8 inch long, and yellow and black.[1]
  • Queens are much larger, about 3/4 inch, and burnt orange; males are colored like workers and intermediate in size.[1]
  • Large orange wasps in a dug-up nest are usually new southern yellowjacket queens.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Eastern yellowjacketEastern yellowjacket queens are yellow and black like their workers and smaller than southern yellowjacket queens.[1]

Where it lives

It's found in the eastern United States and parts of Mexico and Central America.[2]

US map: public records from 27 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

A single mated queen that overwintered under bark or a similar shelter starts each nest, which can grow to over a thousand wasps by fall.[1]

A high percentage of queens begin their nests in spring by taking over an eastern yellowjacket queen's nest.[1]

In fall each nest produces males and new queens; most nests die with freezing weather, but in the Deep South a few survive to become large perennial nests.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Nests are usually underground but sometimes above ground, between hay bales or in insulation in wall or ceiling voids.[1]
  • Florida records include aerial nests in palm material and a rolled rug in a garage, and one nest about 8.2 feet tall around a tree stump.[2]

Health risk

Like other yellowjackets, they defend their nests and sting; precautions against stings are important when treating a nest.[1]

Control

Prevention

When a nest is found late in the season, avoiding the area and waiting for freezing weather may be the best approach.[1]

Treat at night, when the wasps are less active, wearing a beekeeper's veil and protective clothing.[1]

Pesticides

When a nest must go, aerosol wasp and hornet spray injected into the entrance hole is usually quick and effective.[1]

When to call a professional

For large nests or nests inside walls, UF/IFAS advises hiring a pest control operator.[2]

Common questions

What are the big orange wasps in a yellowjacket nest?
Likely new southern yellowjacket queens, which are about 3/4 inch long and burnt orange.[1]
Do southern yellowjacket nests die in winter?
Most do with freezing weather, but in the Deep South a few survive and become large perennial nests.[1]

Sources

  1. Mississippi State University Extension Service, “Southern Yellowjackets (Bug's Eye View, Vol. 2, No. 32).” extension.msstate.edu/taxonomy/term/4171/2016/southern-yellowjackets-vol-2-no-32 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. University of Florida IFAS Extension (Featured Creatures), “Yellowjackets and Hornets, Vespula and Dolichovespula spp. (EENY-081).” edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN238 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  3. iNaturalist, “Vespula squamosa taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/233560 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.