Wasp, hornet or yellow jacket? Tell them apart by the nest
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By John Stopka, Co-Founder & CEO · Reviewed by John Stopka
Wasps, hornets and yellow jackets are all wasps, and the quickest way to tell which one you have is the nest rather than the insect. Paper wasps hang open, umbrella-shaped nests under eaves and ledges; hornets build large enclosed paper nests in trees and against buildings; yellow jackets hide theirs in the ground or inside a wall. Where the nest is decides how hard it is to reach — and at Liberty, whether it is covered by your plan.
What is the difference between a wasp, a hornet and a yellow jacket?
All three are wasps, and all three build with the same material: paper wasps, hornets and yellow jackets "construct nests of a paper-like material containing finely-chewed wood fragments and salivary secretions" [1].
Telling them apart by the insect alone is harder than it sounds, because the colours overlap: the European paper wasp "has yellow and black markings much like a yellowjacket" [1].
One body clue does hold: paper wasps have a waist "that is very thin", which distinguishes them from hornets and yellow jackets [1]. The nest is easier to read.
How do you tell them apart by the nest?
Look at where it is, and whether you can see the cells.
- Paper wasps: open and umbrella-shaped. They build "in protected locations, such as under eaves, gutters and ledges, or in attics, barns or sheds" [1].
- Hornets: enclosed, and usually out of reach. A bald-faced hornet builds "a large, gray nest resembling a bloated football", attached to a tree, bush or the side of a building [1]. European hornets use cavities instead, and "most commonly nest in tree hollows", sometimes in wall voids [3].
- Yellow jackets: hidden. Nests are "often constructed belowground in old chipmunk/rodent burrows", and also in "stone walls, crawlspaces, attics, and behind exterior siding of buildings" [1].
No nest in sight, but wasps streaming in and out of one hole in the lawn or one gap in the siding? That is the yellow jacket answer.
Why are yellow jackets suddenly everywhere in September?
Because the colony is at its peak and the food it wants has changed.
"During late summer/early fall, yellowjacket colonies are nearing maturity and huge numbers of workers are out foraging for food for the developing queens" [1], and late-season nests "often contain thousands of individuals" [1].
With insect prey becoming scarce, they "scavenge widely for other sources of nutrition", and are "particularly fond of sweets" [1][2]. Nothing has turned them mean; there are simply more of them, and what they want is on the picnic table.
So this is the season for covering food and drinks outdoors, keeping lids on trash cans and raking up fallen fruit [1][2].
Are they more aggressive in autumn, or just closer to the nest?
Distance from the nest decides it, not the month. Away from the nest, foraging workers "are seldom aggressive and usually will not sting unless provoked", and UK entomologists advise walking away calmly rather than swatting [1][2].
At the nest it is a different insect: "when the nest is threatened the colony may launch a coordinated assault on the perceived threat" [1].
Anyone concerned about a reaction to a sting should contact a healthcare provider.
Do wasps reuse the same nest next year?
No. "In Kentucky and other states with cold winters, wasp, hornet and yellowjacket colonies die off naturally once the weather turns cold" [1], and abandoned nests "are not reused and soon disintegrate" [2].
So a grey papery shell on the eave in February is a leftover. New queens do keep choosing the same sheltered corners, which is why one porch gets a nest year after year.
Why not knock the nest down yourself?
Because the two nests people most want gone are the hardest to reach.
Hornet nests "are often located out of reach, requiring use of a ladder and/or other specialized equipment", and UK's advice is that "it is often best to call a professional pest control firm" [1]. For yellow jackets, "it is usually prudent to call a professional, especially when accessing nests requires use of a ladder, or is otherwise difficult" [1].
A nest inside a wall carries its own trap: do not seal the gap the wasps are using, because that can cause them "to chew their way inward and emerge indoors" [1].
How does Liberty handle wasps, hornets and yellow jackets?
Differently, and the nest decides that too.
Wasps are a plan pest, handled on regular pest control visits. Plans cover wasps on the first floor of your home. Your Service Specialist knocks down and treats wasp nests on the first floor of your home, like under eaves, porch ceilings and railings.
Hornets are not. They aren't part of Liberty's plans, so hornet treatment starts with a free inspection. Your Service Specialist treats the nest, whether it hangs in a tree or shrub, sits under an eave or is inside a wall.
Yellow jackets are not either. They aren't part of Liberty's plans, so yellow jacket treatment starts with a free inspection. Your Service Specialist treats the nest at its entrance, whether it is in the ground, a wall or an attic.
When to call a professional
Call when the nest is somewhere you cannot reach or cannot see into: high on the house, up a tree, down a hole in the lawn, behind the siding. Those are the cases where UK Entomology says to call a professional rather than work off a ladder [1]. Call too when a nest sits beside a door, a walkway or somewhere children play.
The inspection settles which insect it is and where the nest really is, and that decides the rest — first-floor wasp work on your regular pest control visits, or a hornet or yellow jacket nest after a free inspection.
Common questions
What is the difference between a wasp and a yellow jacket?
A yellow jacket is a kind of wasp, so the real comparison is with a paper wasp. Paper wasps have a very thin waist and hang open, umbrella-shaped nests under eaves and ledges; yellow jackets nest out of sight, belowground or inside walls, crawlspaces and attics [1].
How can I tell a hornet nest from a paper wasp nest?
By whether it is closed. A bald-faced hornet nest is a large, grey, enclosed shell that UK Entomology compares to a bloated football, hanging from a tree, bush or a building [1]. A paper wasp nest is open underneath, so the cells show [1].
Why are yellow jackets so bad in late summer?
Two things at once. Colonies are nearing maturity with huge numbers of workers foraging, and late-season nests can hold thousands of individuals [1]. Meanwhile insect prey gets scarce, so they scavenge widely and are particularly fond of sweets [1][2].
Do yellow jackets really nest in the ground?
Often, yes — belowground in old chipmunk or rodent burrows, or beneath rocks, gutter splash blocks and landscape timbers [1]. A steady stream of wasps in and out of one hole in the lawn is the usual first sign — worth finding before someone mows over it.
Are wasps, hornets and yellow jackets covered by a pest control plan?
Wasps are, on the first floor of your home, and your Service Specialist knocks those nests down and treats them on regular visits. Hornets and yellow jackets are not plan pests; each starts with a free inspection, because what the treatment must reach depends on the nest.
Sources
- University of Kentucky Entomology. Michael F. Potter. "Controlling Wasps, Hornets, and Yellowjackets" (ENTFACT-620). https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef620 (opens in a new tab)
- University of Kentucky Entomology. Michael F. Potter. "Foraging Yellowjackets" (ENTFACT-634). https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef634 (opens in a new tab)
- University of Kentucky Entomology. Jonathan L. Larson. "European Hornet in Kentucky" (ENTFACT-600). https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef600 (opens in a new tab)