514:, in the southern part of its range, may build much larger perennial colonies populated by dozens of queens, tens of thousands of workers, and hundreds of thousands of cells. At peak size, reproductive cells are built with new males and queens produced. Adult reproductives remain in the nest fed by the workers. New queens build up fat reserves to overwinter. Adult reproductives leave the parent colony to mate. After mating, males quickly die, while fertilized queens seek protected places to overwinter. Parent colony workers dwindle, usually leaving the nest to die, as does the founding queen. Abandoned nests rapidly decompose and disintegrate during the winter. They can persist as long as they are kept dry, but are rarely used again. In the spring, the cycle is repeated; weather in the spring is the most important factor in colony establishment.
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706:, due to their very similar pattern. The German yellowjacket builds its nests in cavities—not necessarily underground—with the peak worker population in temperate areas between 1000 and 3000 individuals between May and August. Each colony produces several thousand new reproductives after this point through November.
506:, then emerge later as small, infertile females called workers. Workers in the colony take over caring for the larvae, feeding them with chewed-up meat or fruit. By midsummer, the first adult workers emerge and assume the tasks of nest expansion, foraging for food, care of the queen and larvae, and colony defense.
521:, such as fruits, flower nectar, and tree sap. Larvae feed on proteins derived from insects, meats, and fish. Workers collect, chew, and condition such foods before feeding them to the larvae. Many of the insects collected by the workers are considered pest species, making the yellowjacket beneficial to
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Yellowjacket nests usually last for only one season, dying off in winter. The nest is started by a single queen, called the "foundress". Typically, a nest can reach the size of a basketball by the end of a season. In parts of
Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and southern coastal areas of
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The eastern yellowjacket builds its nests underground, also with the peak worker population between 1000 and 3000 individuals, similar to the German yellowjacket. Nests are built entirely of wood fiber and are completely enclosed except for a small entrance at the bottom. The color of the paper is
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for sucking nectar, fruit, and other juices. Yellowjackets build nests in trees, shrubs, or in protected places such as inside man-made structures, or in soil cavities, tree stumps, mouse burrows, etc. They build them from wood fiber they chew into a paper-like pulp. Many other insects exhibit
499:, soil cavities, and man-made structures. Queens emerge during the warm days of late spring or early summer, select a nest site, and build a small paper nest in which they lay eggs. After eggs hatch from the 30 to 50 brood cells, the queen feeds the young larvae for about 18 to 20 days.
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293:. In contrast to honey bees, yellowjackets have yellow or white markings, are not covered with tan-brown dense hair on their bodies, and do not have the flattened, hairy pollen-carrying hind legs characteristic of honey bees (although they are capable of pollination).
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271:. A typical yellowjacket worker is about 12 mm (0.47 in) long, with alternating bands on the abdomen; the queen is larger, about 19 mm (0.75 in) long (the different patterns on their abdomens help separate various species).
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696:) first appeared in Ohio in 1975, and has now become the dominant species over the eastern yellowjacket. It is bold and aggressive and can sting repeatedly and painfully. It will mark aggressors and pursue them. It is often confused with
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with a red background color instead of black. They can be identified by their distinctive markings, their occurrence only in colonies, and a characteristic, rapid, side-to-side flight pattern prior to landing. All females are capable of
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From this time until her death in the autumn, the queen remains inside the nest, laying eggs. The colony then expands rapidly, reaching a maximum size of 4,000–5,000 workers and a nest of 10,000–15,000 cells in late summer. The species
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822:, named "Stinger," closely resembles a yellowjacket. In the years since its original yellow incarnation, the mascot's color has been changed to light green, seemingly combining the real insect's yellow and the team's blue.
671:
852:. In addition to being able to fly, emit bio-electrictry inspired by a yellowjacket's sting, and shrink down to insect size, Yellowjacket can also control the insect and uses them to aid him in various ways.
861:, features a girls’ soccer team which gets stranded in the wilderness and resorts to extreme measures to survive. Their mascot is a Yellowjacket, and the theme song features images of the insect as well.
632:
Two-year yellowjacket nest, with a one-gallon (3.8-liter) container for size reference. Collected in
Alabama, USA, 2007. Dimensions approximately 18 inches by 24 inches by 12 inches (46 cm by 61 cm by 30
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529:. As insect sources of food diminish in late summer, larvae produce less for workers to eat. Foraging workers pursue sources of sugar outside the nest including ripe fruits and human garbage.
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the United States, the winters are mild enough to allow nest overwintering. Nests that survive multiple seasons become massive and often possess multiple egg-laying queens.
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Very late in season, nearly every morning is too cold for the yellowjackets to forage. In another several weeks all are dead—except the new queens sheltering somewhere else.
413:
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Yellowjackets have lance-like stingers with small barbs, and typically sting repeatedly, though occasionally a stinger becomes lodged and pulls free of the wasp's body; the
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Note that yellowjacket is often spelled as two words (yellow jacket) in popular culture and even in some dictionaries. The proper entomological spelling, according to the
352:
Yellowjackets' closest relatives, the hornets, closely resemble them but have larger heads, seen especially in the large distance from the eyes to the back of the head.
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599:) belong among the yellowjackets rather than the true hornets. They are not usually called "yellowjackets" because of their ivory-on-black coloration.
407:
Yellowjacket wasps are disturbed, but not enough to swarm around their nest entrance—with sound. The response is down to one wasp after seven minutes.
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Yellowjackets are social hunters living in colonies containing workers, queens, and males (drones). Colonies are annual with only inseminated queens
710:
highly dependent on the source of the wood fibers used. The nests contain multiple, horizontal tiers of combs within. Larvae hang within the combs.
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Yellowjacket wasps can be very aggressive if disturbed. Here the ground was pounded next to their nest starting an ongoing disturbance--with sound.
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550:) were originally native to Europe, but are now established as invasives in southern Africa, New Zealand, eastern Australia, and South America.
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648:, tend to create exposed aerial nests. This feature is shared with some true hornets, which has led to some naming confusion.
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or are stung many times. All species have yellow or white on their faces. Their mouthparts are well-developed with strong
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to their nest entrance. When the stone moved, they continued for a time to return orienting with the stone.
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of this species may reach 100,000 adult wasps. The same kind of nest expansion has occurred in
525:. Larvae, in return, secrete a sugary substance for workers to eat; this exchange is a form of
495:. Fertilized queens are found in protected places such as in hollow logs, stumps, under bark,
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1012:"Response of Native Plant Communities to Alien Species Management on the Island of Hawaii"
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202:" in other English-speaking countries. Most of these are black and yellow like the
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1039:"Common Names of Insects Database | Entomological Society of America"
844:, who is based on the insect, is one of the various identities adopted by
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The yellowjacket's most visible place in US sporting culture is as a
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and wasp venoms, is primarily dangerous to only those humans who are
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Yellowjacket response when a leaf blocks their entrance--with sound.
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995:"Extension Daily: What is Causing Super-sized Yellow Jacket Nests?"
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species, in contrast, build concealed nests, usually underground.
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In the southeastern United States, where southern yellowjacket (
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to feed its larvae, followed by the final catch in slow motion.
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of aggressive, stinging yellowjackets; in addition to numerous
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950:"About Yellowjackets and the Benefits of Wasps in the Garden"
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The adult yellowjacket diet consists primarily of sugars and
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Successful
Removal of German Yellow Jackets by Toxic Baiting
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538:
Two of the
European yellowjacket species, the German wasp (
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180:
1025:"Which NHL mascot would you want with you in a bar fight?"
19:
This article is about a type of wasp. For other uses, see
997:. Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities. Archived from
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334:
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235:. Yellowjackets are important predators of pest insects.
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traditionally used a yellowjacket as their club emblem.
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Yellowjackets may be confused with other wasps, such as
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Though not specified by the team, the mascot of the
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at fermenting fruit harassed to leave by aggressive
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on the
Hawaiian Cooperative Studies Program website
939:
451:Yellowjacket wasps using a stone as a landmark to
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956:. 18 March 2013 – via motherearthnews.com.
751:. Other college and university examples include
285:Yellowjackets are sometimes mistakenly called "
198:. Members of these genera are known simply as "
965:
963:
892:The Yellowjackets of America North of Mexico
36:
960:
912:. Forest Service, US Dept. of Agriculture
640:species such as the aerial yellowjacket,
971:"Yellow jackets building enormous nests"
727:with the invasive western yellowjacket (
719:) nests may persist through the winter,
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312:for capturing and chewing insects, with
278:Yellowjacket stinger in its sheath in a
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1063:"Yellowjackets and Hornets of Florida"
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883:
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868:, is as a single word (yellowjacket).
179:in North America for predatory social
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704:invasive species in the United States
218:); some are black and white like the
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16:Common name for two genera of wasps
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793:Northern Vermont University-Lyndon
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789:Montana State University Billings
553:The North American yellowjacket (
247:Face of a southern yellowjacket (
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866:Entomological Society of America
848:, who is most commonly known as
805:University of Wisconsin–Superior
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1005:
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809:West Virginia State University
757:American International College
579:) are native to North America.
1:
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573:), and prairie yellowjacket (
21:Yellowjacket (disambiguation)
765:Black Hills State University
747:, represented by the mascot
375:Yellowjacket eating an apple
280:scanning electron microscope
7:
1073:Featured Creatures Web site
745:Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
424:Yellow jacket wasp catches
10:
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825:In the United Kingdom the
761:Baldwin-Wallace University
333:), the list includes some
18:
743:, most famously with the
617:Dolichovespula sylvestris
567:), western yellowjacket (
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55:Scientific classification
53:
44:
35:
30:
544:), and the common wasp (
933:Lives of Social Insects
890:Akre, Roger D. (1981).
855:The television series,
801:University of Rochester
781:Howard Payne University
623:
607:Dolichovespula arenaria
597:Dolichovespula maculata
224:Dolichovespula maculata
216:Dolichovespula arenaria
797:Randolph-Macon College
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820:Columbus Blue Jackets
813:Waynesburg University
785:LeTourneau University
769:Cedarville University
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583:Southern yellowjacket
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356:Life cycle and habits
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777:Graceland University
662:In the United States
570:Vespula pensylvanica
561:eastern yellowjacket
204:eastern yellowjacket
1104:Insect common names
690:German yellowjacket
603:Aerial yellowjacket
565:Vespula maculifrons
212:aerial yellowjacket
208:Vespula maculifrons
1082:2012-08-03 at the
910:"Wasp Pollination"
735:In popular culture
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635:
593:Bald-faced hornets
576:Vespula atropilosa
556:Vespula alascensis
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473:
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319:protective mimicry
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954:Mother Earth News
699:Polistes dominula
679:Yellowjacket wasp
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646:bald-faced hornet
541:Vespula germanica
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468:
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435:is four days old.
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331:MĂĽllerian mimicry
268:Polistes dominula
220:bald-faced hornet
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773:Defiance College
753:Allen University
716:Vespula squamosa
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587:Vespula squamosa
547:Vespula vulgaris
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426:green bottle fly
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365:Vespula squamosa
347:Batesian mimicry
250:Vespula squamosa
226:). Some have an
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1043:. Retrieved
1041:. Entsoc.org
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842:Yellowjacket
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165:Yellowjacket
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827:rugby union
642:D. arenaria
523:agriculture
512:V. squamosa
497:leaf litter
263:paper wasps
177:common name
128:Subfamily:
112:Hymenoptera
1093:Categories
1045:2018-06-25
980:2013-01-14
872:References
840:character
702:, another
644:, and the
291:honey bees
210:) and the
92:Arthropoda
1109:Predators
831:Wasps RFC
613:Tree wasp
314:probosces
310:mandibles
78:Kingdom:
72:Eukaryota
1099:Vespidae
1080:Archived
916:July 15,
846:Hank Pym
453:navigate
306:allergic
265:such as
233:stinging
132:Vespinae
122:Vespidae
118:Family:
88:Phylum:
82:Animalia
68:Domain:
1065:on the
850:Ant-Man
652:Vespula
433:carrion
343:beetles
259:hornets
228:abdomen
189:Vespula
183:of the
175:is the
154:Vespula
138:Genera
108:Order:
102:Insecta
98:Class:
811:, and
755:, the
741:mascot
725:Hawaii
504:pupate
501:Larvae
430:rabbit
341:, and
185:genera
173:jacket
171:
169:yellow
829:team
367:queen
339:moths
335:flies
327:wasps
298:venom
200:wasps
181:wasps
1071:IFAS
918:2021
896:USDA
836:The
749:Buzz
688:The
633:cm).
624:Nest
325:and
323:bees
287:bees
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192:and
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