Wasps, Hornets, and Yellow Jackets Part One – What does a Wasp Look Like?

Wasps Can Be a Menace to Your Home
Wasps Can Be a Menace to Your Home

Stinging insects keep our Monmouth County pest control professionals busy during summer. While many bees, hornets, wasps and yellow jackets have stingers, some of these species are capable of delivering stings that are much more powerful and painful than others.

How can you tell what kind of stinging pest you have on your property? We’ll help you learn the difference between hornets, paper wasps and yellow jackets. Let’s start off with how to identify wasps.

Physical Appearance

Unlike bee species, Paper wasps have thin bodies with no hair. They also have a stinger that does not fall off. Instead, paper wasps can deliver multiple stings at a time.

Nesting Habits

Paper wasps build nests under eaves and in other areas that provide them with some protection. These open paper nests typically resemble an umbrella. Paper wasps have colonies that normally consist of less than 100 insects, which is smaller than hornet and yellow jacket colonies.

Diet

Paper wasps feed on live insects. Unlike yellow jackets and some bee species, they are not drawn to sweet foods and drinks that people leave outside. While this makes them less of a nuisance to those who are outside, these insects can still sting when provoked or threatened.

If you have stinging wasps on your property, our Monmouth County pest control experts are here to help. Contact Allison Pest Control for safe and effective wasp removal.