09/20/2025
Here are some fun (and sometimes surprising) facts about yellowjackets 🐝:
* They’re not bees – Yellowjackets are actually wasps. They’re often mistaken for honeybees because of their black-and-yellow stripes, but they’re slimmer and shinier.
* Multiple stings – Honeybees can sting only once, but yellowjackets can sting repeatedly because their stingers don’t have barbs. Ouch.
* Recycling architects – They make their nests out of chewed wood fibers mixed with saliva, which looks like papery layers. Some nests can get huge—the size of a basketball or even larger.
* One queen rules them all – Colonies start with a single fertilized queen in spring. By late summer, a colony can have thousands of workers.
* Not all live underground – While many build nests in soil cavities, others nest in trees, shrubs, or even inside walls of buildings.
* They’re fast flyers – Yellowjackets can fly up to about 30 miles per hour, making them quick hunters and efficient defenders of their nests.
If you’re having problems with Yellowjackets like these, give us a call. We can make sure your home is pest free from nuisances like this.
