How to Spot a Yellow Jacket

If you have ever had a can of soda at a picnic in the summer, then you are most likely familiar with yellow jackets. These aggressive wasps are best left alone; however, knowing how to spot a yellow jacket is an important skill to keep from being stung. Here's how.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Look for yellow jackets in their preferred habitats around various types of foliage, such as hedges, in the spring when they are looking for insects to eat. In the summer and fall, find yellow jackets feeding on human food sources, such as meats and sugary foods and drinks. Yellow jackets nest both underground or above ground and are more likely to be spotted late in the day as they retreat to their nests at night.
2. Learn about the size of a yellow jacket. They range from about 1/2 inch to less than 1 inch in length. Typically, they are smaller than a honeybee.
3. Observe the appearance of the yellow jacket. Yellow jackets have characteristic alternating black and yellow stripes on their abdomens and appear somewhat shiny. Yellow jackets have a thin waist, a smooth stinger and no hair on their bodies or legs; they also have faces with white or yellow coloring.
4. Take note of the yellow jacket's nest, which is made of small pieces of wood fiber. The wasps chew the wood fibers into a pulp that resembles paper. They use the "paper" to construct the nest. Each yellow jacket nest consists of several layers, and the nests can grow quite large by the fall.
5. Watch the yellow jacket's behavior. You'll see them feeding on insects and on "people food." They do not frequent flowers because they are not particularly good at pollination. Before a yellow jacket lands, they fly rapidly from side to side.

Tips & Warnings

• Yellow jacket colonies die in the fall months.
• Yellow jackets are wasps, not bees.
• Yellow jackets are very aggressive and will sting multiple times if disturbed or threatened. Get medical attention right away if someone allergic to yellow jackets gets stung.