Yellowjacket Wasp | Description, Habitat, Species, Diet, & Facts
Yellowjackets is a type of wasp. Many people confuse these tiny wasps with wasps because they are similar in size and color to honey bees, but they are actually in the wasp family.
What does a Yellowjacket look like?
Yellow coat is yellow and black with stripes or bands on the belly. Workers are usually about ½ inch long. Like all insects, the golden wasp has six legs and three main body parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. They also have four wings and two antennae.
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Can Yellowjackets sting?
The yellow wasp has a stinger at the end of its abdomen. Unlike honey bees, the stingers of yellow wasps do not usually come out when they sting, allowing them to sting more than once. So destroying the golden wasp nest can be very dangerous! Some people are allergic to yellow wasp venom and should seek immediate medical attention.
Where do Yellowjackets live?
Different species of golden wasps are found around the world. In North America, European yellow wasps (German wasps), eastern yellow wasps and southern yellow wasps are common. Yellow wasps live in beehives or nests in large swarms. Depending on the species, nests will be underground or in somewhat protected areas such as tree holes or attics in a building. They build their nests in hexagonal layers of cells from wood that they have chewed into a paste. When it dries, the mixture becomes a paper-like substance.
A colony of golden wasps consists of worker and queen bees. Queen termites stay in the nest and lay eggs. The job of the worker termites is to protect the queen, build the nest, and collect food for the queen and larvae. The nests grow over time to the size of soccer balls and can hold 4,000 to 5,000 yellow coats. The nests are usually inhabited for a season when the colony dies in winter.
What do Yellowjackets Eat?
Yellowjackets mainly feed on nectar from fruits and plants. They have a proboscis (like a straw) that they can use to draw juices from fruits and other plants. They are also attracted to human food, such as sugary drinks, candies and juices. Sometimes they eat other insects or try to steal honey.
Interesting Facts About Yellowjackets
Many other insects mimic the color and pattern of yellow wasps to scare away predators.
There is a town in Colorado called Yellowjacket.
Georgia Tech’s mascot is a yellow vest named Buzz.
Some giant nests are said to have more than 100,000 wasps.
Don’t run past a yellow vest. This will only increase your chances of being bitten.
Males and workers die during the winter. Only the queen lives in winter.