Yellowjackets

Related Wasp and Bee Info Types of Bees Types of Wasps

Most people recognize yellowjackets (Paravespula) as the uninvited guests at many picnics.

Two genera of Vespid wasps, Dolichovespula and Vespula have member species with a yellowjacket name. They are all social wasps that build, and vigorously defend, ground nests.

As the colony grows over the course of a summer, the need for food expands. The presence of a sweet tooth partially explains their scavenging ways at picnics and barbecues.

Many homeowners opt to remove them when they nest around the home because their sting is painful.

Over one dozen different Vespula species live in the United States. Most of them share the bright yellow body of the species in the top picture, the Western Yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica). One species, the Northern Red-banded Yellowjacket has a range limited mostly to Canada, with a small population in the northern United States. As the name suggests, its body is mostly red rather than yellow.

The thick abdomen of the yellowjacket also serves as a good clue to differentiate it from other types of wasps.

© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels