![]() ![]() The biggest danger for humans is accidentally disturbing a colony, as they like to build their nests in human-created structures. The good news is that these wasps tend to be less aggressive, their colonies are fairly small, and they will not usually sting unless provoked. Once again, the primary difference between paper wasps and bees is that wasps are always smooth, and never fuzzy or hairy. These wasps come in a range of colors, including orange, red-brown, burgundy, and even some with black and yellow stripes. Paper wasps are known for their small, paper-like nests hanging from a single stalk and often found under porch railings, in the eaves of picnic shelters, and in other protected spaces. Otherwise, these wasps are best left in peace. If you see a nest in a shrub in your yard, or in another high-trafficked area, you should seek professional help. ![]() While the incredible size of a baldfaced hornet nest makes people alarmed, these insects are not usually aggressive unless you come within a few feet of their nest. Since each nest is only used for one season, you can often find old, empty nests slowly disintegrating in the forest. These stinging insects like to build their nests high in trees, wrapping layers of a paper-like substance into a large football shape that can be two-feet long. Their name derives from their facial markings, which are white and black (the black and white markings extend along their abdomen, as well). are the European hornets mentioned above). To make insect identification even more confusing, baldfaced hornets are not actually hornets, but wasps (the only true hornets in the U.S. Do not block their entrances, as they can chew through wood to find another exit into your living space-making your problem much, much worse. However, if you have a European hornets nest in the exterior of your house, you should seek professional help. Unlike yellow jackets, these hornets are not aggressive unless disturbed, so leaving them alone is usually the best practice. Unlike yellow jackets, European hornets will forage during the day or night, meaning that you can sometimes find them bumping off of porch lights. They differ from yellow jackets in that they usually nest in cavities at least six feet off the ground, such as the hollow of a tree, and never in the ground. With smooth, striped, black-and-yellow bodies, these insects look very similar to yellow jackets, making it hard to tell them apart. Hornets are a member of the wasp family not native to North America, but the European hornet can now be found throughout large parts of the United States, from the east coast to the Dakotas. Put lids on your trash cans and cover your sugary drinks! European hornets This is often when you can find them lurking around picnics and garbage cans. Note: Yellow jackets can become more problematic in late summer and early fall, as they start to crave more sugar and their normal sources of food become scarce. If you see yellow jackets flying in and out of a hole in your backyard, it’s best to get professional help. Unfortunately, individual colonies can contain thousands of wasps which will swarm out of the nest when alarmed, making them very dangerous to humans and their pets. Yellow jackets mostly live in the ground (old rodent burrows are common homes) or sometimes in stone walls and are very protective of their colony, often attacking if a person approaches even within a few feet of their nest or if a lawn mower makes a nearby sound or vibration. The major difference is that yellow jackets are smooth-never fuzzy or hairy like bees-and their yellow stripes tend to be brighter and shinier. Yellow jackets are commonly mistaken for bees because of their striped black-and-yellow markings. Let’s look at a few common types that frequently get mistaken for bees in the United States. The ability to sting multiple times without harming themselves, and to send out alarm pheromones quickly bringing more wasps to the scene, means that they can be quite dangerous to humans. Unlike bees, many types of wasps do sting and can be very aggressive. They are carnivores who live off of other small creatures, mostly insects, using this protein to feed their young. Wasps are an entirely different species from bees. In Part II we will explore the other common stinging critters in the U.S., teaching you how to identify them and the best practices around keeping you and your family safe. In Part I of our guide, we taught you how to identify bumble bees and honey bees-two of our most critical pollinators (and pretty nonaggressive, to boot!). ![]()
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