Common Yellowjacket (Vespula vulgaris)

Appearance:

As its name suggests, the Common Yellowjacket possesses all the most common features of yellowjackets: stout body, roughly 1/2 inch in length, yellow and black coloration, yellow legs and black antennae.

Habits:

Common Yellowjackets will scavenge for protein and are attracted to meats and sugary foods. They are often pests around trash cans and picnics. Colonies will last for one year.

Nests:

Common Yellowjacket nests are typically constructed in logs, rotting stumps, and in the soil. They are also commonly found in between the walls of structures. Nests are very brittle and are red to tannish-brown in color.

Nature toward humans:

Common Yellowjackets are "picnic pests" and quite annoying to humans. They are also a stinging hazard if agitated while they are scavenging, or if the nest is disturbed.

Other Yellowjacket species

Paper Wasps

Hornets