Yellow Jacket

Yellowjackets are social insects that live in nests or colonies with up to 4,000 workers. They are most active in the late summer and early autumn when a colony is at its peak. Yellowjackets feed on sweets and proteins, and therefore these pests commonly invade outdoor events. Yellowjackets can be found anywhere humans are found. They build paper carton nests out of chewed up cellulose, which are usually found in the ground or in cavernous areas such as eaves and attics.

Yellowjacket stings pose significant health threats to humans, as they are territorial and will sting if threatened. They are known to sting repeatedly and can cause allergic reactions. Yellowjackets and other stinging insects send over 500,000 people to the emergency room each year.

Wasp

The European paper wasp, Polistes dominula, gains its name from the paper it makes to build its umbrella-shaped nests, often found under eaves across North America. While less aggressive than their yellowjacket cousins, from whom they subtly differ in appearance, paper wasps will deliver a painful sting if their nests are threatened. Paper wasps will occasionally feed on nectar and fermenting substances, but also prey on insects as a protein source for their young. That makes human food especially attractive as summer ends and insect prey, such as aphids and caterpillars, become rare.

They’re looking for protein and sugar. That’s why they show up at your house, zoom around your garbage can, and take a bite out of your sandwich. Paper wasps can be hard to eliminate from homes and yards, because they’re different from other wasp species. They’re not attracted to the same things that yellowjackets and hornets are.