Wasps, hornets and bees

Who's who

Western Yellowjacket Vespula pensylvanica Yellowjackets are social wasps that nest mostly in the ground and in wall voids, defend their nests vigorously, and become persistent scavengers at picnics and garbage cans in late summer and fall. European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula Paper wasps hang open, umbrella-shaped paper nests under eaves and in sheltered spots; they are much less defensive than yellowjackets and rarely sting unless a nest is disturbed. Bald-faced Hornet Dolichovespula maculata The bald-faced hornet is a large black-and-white aerial yellowjacket that builds gray, football-shaped paper nests in trees, shrubs and on buildings and defends them aggressively. Black and Yellow Mud Dauber Sceliphron caementarium Mud daubers are solitary wasps that build mud nests on walls, ceilings, eaves and equipment and stock them with paralyzed spiders. They don't defend their nests and rarely sting. Eastern Cicada Killer Sphecius speciosus Cicada killers are very large solitary wasps seen mostly in July and August. Females dig burrows and stock them with annual cicadas. They look alarming, but the Missouri Department of Conservation calls them virtually harmless unless handled roughly, and Kentucky says they aren't a stinging hazard unless directly disturbed. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera Honey bees are important pollinators, but a colony that moves into a wall void or attic can become a stinging hazard. A swarm is temporary and usually best left alone, while an established colony in a building should be removed along with its comb. Common Eastern Bumble Bee Bombus impatiens Bumble bees are social bees that form annual colonies in soil cavities, old rodent burrows and similar voids; they are valuable pollinators and defend their nests only when disturbed. Eastern Carpenter Bee Xylocopa virginica Carpenter bees are large, solitary bees that bore round tunnels into bare, weathered wood to rear their young; they rarely cause severe damage but can weaken wood that is reused year after year. Sclerodermus Wasps Sclerodermus species (S. carolinensis, S. macrogaster and S. ventura in North America) Sclerodermus are tiny, ant-like flat wasps that parasitize wood-boring beetle larvae; when they share infested furniture or rafters with people, the females can sting. Eastern Yellowjacket Vespula maculifrons The eastern yellowjacket is a native, ground-nesting yellowjacket common across the eastern US in lawns, woodlands, pastures and parks; it defends its nest aggressively and can sting repeatedly. German Yellowjacket Vespula germanica The German yellowjacket is an invasive wasp from Eurasia that has spread across the northern US, displaces native yellowjackets and often nests in buildings. Southern Yellowjacket Vespula squamosa The southern yellowjacket is a native yellowjacket that normally nests in the ground. Its large, burnt-orange queens often start colonies by taking over eastern yellowjacket nests. Giant Ichneumon Wasps Megarhyssa species (e.g., M. macrurus, M. atrata) Giant ichneumon wasps, genus Megarhyssa, are among the largest wasps people notice, with egg-laying tubes several inches long. They are parasites of horntail larvae inside dying hardwood trees, don't damage the trees, and ignore people. Grass-Carrying Wasps Isodontia species (Isodontia mexicana and relatives) Grass-carrying wasps nest in holes and tight spaces they pack with grass; Penn State calls them at worst a minor nuisance. Great Golden Digger Wasp Sphex ichneumoneus The great golden digger wasp is a large solitary wasp often seen on flowers in summer. Females dig burrows in sandy soil and stock them with paralyzed katydids and crickets for their young. It isn't aggressive and doesn't harm people or property. Potter Wasps Eumenes species (e.g., E. fraternus), subfamily Eumeninae Potter wasps are solitary wasps whose females build tiny urn-shaped mud nests, or use existing holes, and stock them with caterpillars for their young. They are rarely provoked enough to sting, and the caterpillar control makes them welcome in gardens. Tarantula Hawks Pepsis species (e.g., Pepsis thisbe) Tarantula hawks are large spider wasps that paralyze tarantulas to feed their young. Females have one of the most painful stings of any insect, but they are docile and rarely sting people. Velvet Ants (eastern velvet ant, "cow killer") Dasymutilla occidentalis Velvet ants aren't ants at all. They are solitary wasps in the family Mutillidae, and the wingless, fuzzy females look like large hairy ants as they run across open ground. Yellow-Legged Hornet Vespa velutina The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) is an invasive hornet from Southeast Asia that preys on honey bees and other insects. It was first detected near Savannah, Georgia, in August 2023, and state and federal teams in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina are trapping it and destroying its nests. Blue-Winged Wasp Scolia dubia The blue-winged wasp is a large, gentle scoliid wasp often seen hovering a few inches over lawns in late summer; females hunt beetle grubs in the soil, so it is a beneficial insect that rarely, if ever, stings people. Spider Wasps Pompilidae (shown: rusty spider wasp, Tachypompilus ferrugineus) Spider wasps are solitary wasps that sting and paralyze spiders, then drag them to a nest as food for their young; the rusty spider wasp, with its orange body and blue wings, is a common eye-catching example. Red Wasp Polistes carolina The red wasp (Polistes carolina) is a paper wasp with an almost entirely rust-red body that builds open, umbrella-shaped paper nests under roofs and other overhangs. Paper wasps are not aggressive but will sting to defend the nest. Guinea Paper Wasp Polistes exclamans The guinea paper wasp is a small paper wasp, yellow with brown bands, that hangs single open combs in sheltered spots like eaves, grills, gates and shrubs; it is not very aggressive until its nest is jarred. Great Black Wasp Sphex pensylvanicus The great black wasp is a large, solitary, satiny black wasp with smoky black wings that shine blue. Missouri gives its length as about 1 to nearly 1 1/2 inches. It visits flowers for nectar and pollen in summer and is not aggressive. Small Carpenter Bees Ceratina species Small carpenter bees are tiny, shiny black bees with blue or green highlights that hollow out nests in the pith of broken weed stems, dead canes and freshly cut rose stems. They are gentle pollinators, though nesting in a fresh rose cut can make the cane die back. American Sand Wasp Bembix americana The American sand wasp is a solitary wasp that digs its nest burrows in sandy ground, often beside many others of its kind, and catches flies to feed its young. Red and Black Mason Wasp Pachodynerus erynnis The red and black mason wasp is a solitary wasp in the potter and mason wasp group. Females nest in existing holes and hollow stems and stock them with caterpillars for their young. Five-banded thynnid wasp Myzinum quinquecinctum The five-banded thynnid wasp is a black-and-yellow solitary wasp of late-summer flowers. Its larvae feed on the white grubs of scarab beetles in the soil, and the clusters of males that gather on plants look alarming but cannot sting. American yellowjacket Vespula alascensis The American yellowjacket, also called the common yellowjacket, is a black-and-yellow social wasp that nests in underground cavities or inside structures and scavenges protein and sugar. North American references long called it Vespula vulgaris, but that name now belongs to a European species. It is considered a pest because its nesting and scavenging habits bring it into frequent contact with people. Aerial yellowjacket Dolichovespula arenaria The aerial yellowjacket is a black-and-yellow social wasp that builds its enclosed paper nest above ground: in shrubs and trees, under eaves and on outbuildings. It hunts live prey instead of raiding picnics, but it defends its nest fiercely and sometimes bites and stings at the same time. Smoky-winged beetle bandit Cerceris fumipennis The smoky-winged beetle bandit is a native solitary wasp of eastern North America that hunts metallic wood-boring beetles, including the invasive emerald ash borer, and carries them home to nests in packed sandy ground. Because it finds these beetles far better than people can, extension programs use its nests to detect emerald ash borer. Scoliid wasps Scoliidae (e.g., Scolia, Dielis and Pygodasis) Scoliid wasps are large, stout, hairy solitary wasps whose larvae feed on the white grubs of scarab beetles in the soil. Most people see the adults drinking nectar at flowers or flying low over lawns in late summer. They are not aggressive toward people, and only the females can sting. Mole cricket hunter Larra bicolor Larra bicolor is a black wasp with a solid red abdomen that develops only on mole crickets. It is native to South America and was released in Florida to control the invasive Scapteriscus mole crickets that damage turf and pasture grasses, and it has since spread into neighboring states. Thread-waisted sand wasps Ammophila spp. Ammophila wasps are slender, solitary thread-waisted wasps, usually black with some orange on the abdomen. Females dig burrows in the ground and stock them with paralyzed caterpillars for their young. They are not aggressive and sting only if mishandled. Blackjacket Vespula consobrina The blackjacket is a yellowjacket that is black with narrow white markings instead of yellow ones. It lives across Canada and the northern United States and south through the western mountains, hunts live insects, and nests in cavities such as hollow logs, rodent burrows and the wall voids of houses.

Bee, wasp or look-alike?

Start with a close look. Bees are covered in hair, and honey bees and bumble bees have pollen baskets on their legs. Most wasps have smooth, hairless bodies and a narrow waist. Bright yellow, white, orange and black patterns warn that an insect can sting, which is why so many harmless insects copy them.^[7]

• Paper wasp or yellowjacket? Paper wasps have a very thin waist, which sets them apart from hornets and yellowjackets. Most are brownish or rust-colored, but the European paper wasp has yellow and black markings much like a yellowjacket.^[3]
• Honey bee or yellowjacket? Honey bees are less brightly striped and hairier, and they usually aren't drawn to your food.^[1]
• Bee or fly? Flies that mimic bees and wasps have just two wings, while all bees and wasps have four. Our guide to bugs that look like bees and wasps covers hover flies, bee flies, clearwing moths and the rest.^[7]
• For photos and species-by-species notes on honey bees, bumble bees, carpenter bees, sweat bees, yellowjackets, hornets, paper wasps, mud daubers, cicada killers and velvet ants, see our types of stinging insects guide.^[5][7]

Which ones defend a nest

Only females can sting, because the stinger is a modified egg-laying organ. Most bees and wasps live solitary lives and would rather flee than fight. Social species keep workers whose job is to defend the nest, and those workers will defend it vigorously if it's disturbed.^[5]

In social bees and wasps one queen usually lays all the fertilized eggs. Males come from unfertilized eggs; they can't sting and don't help run the colony.^[7]

• Social and defensive: yellowjackets, hornets, paper wasps, honey bees and bumble bees. UC IPM says some, such as yellowjackets, are much more likely to attack than others.^[5][7][1]
• Solitary and rarely defensive: mining and other ground-nesting bees, carpenter bees, mud daubers and many other solitary bees and wasps.^[7][9][1][6]
• A bee or wasp away from its nest, at flowers, water or food, is usually not defensive. Most stings happen when one is swatted, trapped or crushed against the skin, such as by brushing a flowering shrub or stepping barefoot on bees in a weedy lawn.^[8][3]
• A honey bee's barbed stinger usually stays in the skin. Wasp stingers have no barbs, so a wasp can sting again.^[5][1]

Seasons: why late summer is the worst

Yellowjacket and paper wasp queens that mated and survived the winter start new nests in spring. From spring to midsummer the workers hunt mostly insects for the growing larvae. By late summer the colony needs sugar, and the foragers turn up at sweets, picnics, garbage and pet food.^[1]

Penn State notes that people usually don't notice bumble bee or wasp colonies until late summer or fall, once they've grown large.^[7]

• In cold-winter states, wasp, hornet and yellowjacket colonies die once the weather turns cold. Only mated queens survive the winter, usually somewhere other than the old nest, and abandoned nests aren't reused.^[3][7]
• Where winters are very mild, as in coastal California south of San Francisco, UC IPM says some yellowjacket colonies survive for several years and become quite large.^[1]
• Honey bees are different: their colonies live year-round, and a feral colony in or near a house may survive for many years. Swarms come in spring and early summer.^[7]
• A nest found in fall will die soon anyway, while one found in May or June may be small enough to ignore but can grow into a problem by August or September.^[8]

Yellowjackets

• Medium-sized, black with jagged bright yellow bands; most nest underground, often in old rodent burrows, but some use wall and ceiling voids.^[1]
• A single queen starts each colony in spring; colonies reach 1,500 to 15,000 wasps depending on species.^[1]
• Their stingers aren't barbed, so they can sting repeatedly, especially inside clothing, and they sometimes bite and sting at once.^[1]
• Scavenging yellowjackets can crawl into soda cans and sting the mouth or throat; cover food and drinks outdoors.^[1]
• Traps can thin out foraging workers but can't eliminate an established colony. Our yellowjacket traps and picnics guide covers food, trap types, placement and spring queen trapping.^[8][1]

Does the nest have to go?

Most stinging insects defend an area around their nest, and how large that area is and how fiercely they defend it depend largely on the size of the colony.^[8]

• Lure traps baited with heptyl butyrate catch western yellowjacket foragers; in a backyard, hang them at the property edge as far from the patio as possible.^[1]
• Watch for wasps flying straight in and out of one spot, which marks a nest entrance, and stay away from it.^[1]
• For a nest that has to go, professional help is the safest option.^[2][3]
• A nest high in a tree or in another out-of-the-way spot can usually be left to die off in the cold.^[3]
• Nests near doorways, busy walkways and places where children play are likely to be disturbed sooner or later, and leaving them may not be acceptable.^[8]
• If you leave a nest, Missouri Conservation suggests marking a safety zone several feet around it with surveyor's tape on stakes or bright spray paint and waiting for freezing weather.^[10]
• If a nest must go, dealing with it early in the season while it is small is safer and easier. Anyone who knows they are allergic to stings should not try to remove a colony themselves.^[8]
• Our guide to getting rid of a wasp or yellowjacket nest covers when to call a professional, protective clothing, products and how to treat each kind of nest.^[8][3]

Bees in walls, lawns and wood

Honey bees take more care than wasps. Penn State says to find out whether the insects are honey bees before acting, because they can be more difficult to manage than most other insects.^[8]

• Bees in a wall: honey bee colonies are often 10 to 100 times larger than yellowjacket or hornet colonies, and an old nest can hold hundreds of pounds of honey and wax comb and fill an entire wall. One option is a beekeeper who does removals. See how to get rid of bees in walls and swarms.^[8]
• A swarm on a branch or fence: swarms are usually not aggressive and leave for their new nest within two days. The same guide explains what to do.^[7]
• Holes in the lawn: many spring ground bees are solitary nesters, one female per nest, that can gather by the hundreds or thousands. Their nests show as small cone-shaped soil piles with a hole in the middle, and they are active for about 6 to 8 weeks in spring. See ground bees in the lawn.^[9]
• Round holes in wood: female carpenter bees bore tunnels 1/2 inch across in wood to nest. Males can't sting, and females sting only when provoked or handled roughly. See how to get rid of carpenter bees.^[6]
• Mud tubes on walls and ceilings: mud daubers. Their nests can be removed safely in winter without spraying. See our mud daubers guide.^[1]

Why many are worth leaving alone

Penn State says virtually all stinging insects pollinate, though some are better pollinators than others. Paper wasps, yellowjackets, bald-faced hornets and true hornets also hunt caterpillars, flies and other insects, which can reduce other pests.^[8]

• Paper wasp workers feed their larvae mostly other insects, such as caterpillars. Clemson notes that paper wasps are not aggressive, but they will sting if they feel threatened, and people are often stung when they blunder into a nest hidden in a bush.^[11]

First aid for a sting

• Wash the site with soap and water, remove any stinger by scraping a fingernail or gauze across it, apply ice, and don't scratch.^[4]
• MedlinePlus advises against tweezers for a stinger, since they may squeeze the venom sac and release more venom.^[12]
• Call 911 if someone who was stung has trouble breathing or wheezing, swelling of the face or mouth, throat tightness or trouble swallowing, weakness, or turns blue.^[12]
• Anyone who has had a severe, whole-body reaction to a sting should be referred by their provider to an allergist for testing and treatment, and should carry an emergency kit.^[12]

Sources

1. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Yellowjackets and Other Social Wasps (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/yellowjackets-and-other-social-wasps/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Yellowjackets and Other Social Wasps, Publication 7450 (March 2012).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnyellowjackets.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
3. University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-620: Controlling Wasps, Hornets, and Yellowjackets.” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef620 (accessed 2026-10-06)
4. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIOSH, “Insects and Scorpions at Work (reviewed September 28, 2026).” www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/insects-and-scorpions.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
5. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Bee and Wasp Stings, UC ANR Publication 7449.” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/bee-and-wasp-stings/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
6. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Carpenter Bees.” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/carpenter-bees/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
7. Penn State Extension, “Five-Step Decision Support: Nesting Bees and Wasps Near Homes.” extension.psu.edu/five-step-decision-support-nesting-bees-and-wasps-near-homes (accessed 2026-11-10)
8. Penn State Extension, “Getting Rid of Paper Wasps, Yellowjackets, and Other Stinging Insects.” extension.psu.edu/getting-rid-of-paper-wasps-yellowjackets-and-other-stinging-insects (accessed 2026-11-10)
9. Penn State Extension, “Spring Bees: Who Are They and Where Do They Live?.” extension.psu.edu/spring-bees-who-are-they-and-where-do-they-live (accessed 2026-11-10)
10. Missouri Department of Conservation, “Yellowjackets (Vespula Wasps).” mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/yellowjackets-vespula-wasps (accessed 2026-11-10)
11. Clemson University Home & Garden Information Center, “Paper Wasps.” hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/paper-wasps/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
12. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Insect bites and stings (Medical Encyclopedia).” medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000033.htm (accessed 2026-11-10)