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 Yellowjackets (Vespula sp.) are really wasps, sometimes called hornets. The term "hornet" is often used to refer to many of the wasps that build large papery nests.
Yellowjackets are house fly-sized wasps with distinct yellow and black markings and a few hairs. They construct a tan colored paper nest, usually found in an underground cavity. Common locations for nests are in lawns, particularly in sandy exposed areas, as well as at the base of trees or shrubs. Occasionally, yellowjackets will nest in attics or walls voids of houses or storage buildings.
An individual yellow jacket queen begins building a nest alone in the spring. Once a queen has produced enough workers to take over nest-building and foraging duties, she remains inside producing more offspring. The workers expand the nest, forage for food, feed the young and defend the nest. Like other predatory wasps, their diet consists mainly of other insects such as flies and bees.
Two points to remember:
In spite of their reputations, hornets and yellowjackets are actually beneficial because they prey on many insects that we consider to be pests. They also serve as food for other bears, skunks, birds, and other insects.
Unlike honey bees, hornet and yellowjacket colonies die out each year.
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Serving Tacoma, Puyallup, Kent, Auburn, Federal Way & Surrounding Areas
in King & Pierce County, Washington.
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