Yellow jackets and paper wasps look alike, but their nests are different. Here, we cover the difference between yellow jacket nest and paper wasp nest.
Do you know that are well over a hundred thousand described species of wasps around the world?
Out of these species, there are two that are commonly found in the United States, the yellow jacket wasp and the paper wasp.
Neither of them are solitary wasps, so you can often find their nests around your house or garden.
These two species look very much alike, and one of the only reliable ways to differentiate them is to look at their nests.
So if you ever find a paper wasp nest or a yellow jacket nest, here is how to identify them or get rid of them safely.
Nesting Behavior of Paper Wasps vs. Yellow Jackets
Compared to paper wasps, yellow jacket waps live in much larger colonies; as a result, their nests are comparatively much bigger than that of paper wasps.
Although both have honeycomb-like chambers in their nest, the shapes are completely different. On top of that, both these species prefer opposite locations for building their nests.
Paper Wasps
Paper wasps colonies are small (only about 200 per nest); therefore, they build smaller nests that resemble an umbrella or an upside-down honeycomb.
They use wood pulp mixed with saliva to form the paper-like material to make the nest. These social wasps prefer to build aerial nests in areas under tree branches or eaves of houses.
A mature paper nest contains around 200 well-built hexagonal cells. They hunt by stinging insects and paralyzing them.
The paralyzed prey are kept in these hexagonal cells, which the larvae feed on to grow. You should also know that European paper wasps build nearly spherical nests.
Their nests are built in protected places such as the eaves of buildings, under porch roofs, and under bridges and other such constructions.
Yellow Jackets
Yellow jackets live in big colonies (each nest will have 2,000 to 4,000 yellow jackets) and are known to build big nests.
These nests have a complicated yet regular network of hexagonal cells with one opening that is often hard to track.
Similar to European hornets and baldfaced hornets, these wasps build an outer wall of paper on their nests.
They also create the nest using wood pulp mixed with saliva. But they prefer to develop nests closer to the ground.
You can often find a yellow wasp nest in hollow trees or some pre-existing rodent burrows.
How To Get Rid of a Paper Wasp Nest?
Usually, paper wasps don’t pose any threat to humans, but still, it can be tricky to deal with a bunch of these wasps loitering around your house.
If the nest is smaller, you can leave it be. But if it is big, follow the steps mentioned below to get rid of it:
- Buy an aerosol insecticide that has an active ingredient like Cyfluthrin, D-trans Allethrin, or Phenothrin.
- Mix this insecticide with soapy water.
- Build an escape path for yourself just in case these wasps attack.
- Wear proper clothing and try to cover as much skin as possible. Wasps generally go for exposed skin when they sting. Wear a helmet with a screen to protect your neck and face.
- Carefully spray the nest with a mixture of insecticide and soap water and clear the area immediately.
- Knock the nest down when the wasps are dead or have vacated it.
How To Get Rid of a Yellow Jacket Nest?
Yellow jackets are dangerous, and their nest should be immediately removed if spotted near your house or yard. Here are a few hacks to help you do so:
- Make a 50/50 mixture of peppermint castile soap and boiling water. Carry this mixture to the nest and locate the opening. Once yOu locate the opening, pour the solution in it. This will kill most of the wasps in the nest and make the rest of them abandon it.
- Spray a mixture of peppermint oil and water on the wasp’s nest. Since these wasps hate the spell of peppermint, they will be forced to vacate the nest.
- To quickly destroy a nest, dump some dry ice into the ground nest and cover the entry and exit holes with dirt immediately.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many yellow jackets are usually in a nest?
Since yellow jackets are highly social and prefer to live in huge colonies, a complete nest will have around 2,000 to 4,000 workers, about 50 queens, and a few drones as well.
The numbers can keep fluctuating according to the size of the colony and the nest.
How can you tell a yellow jacket from a paper wasp?
Paper wasps are slightly bigger than yellow jacket wasps.
Also, a yellow jacket is almost covered with vibrant yellow patterns, while the paper wasp has a black colored body with some yellow or orange stripes.
Moreover, yellow jackets have bigger nests which are usually built underground or in some pre-existing cavity. The paper wasps build aerial nests and live in smaller colonies and nests.
Which sting is the worse yellow jacket or paper wasp?
According to the Schmidt pain index, a paper wasp sting has a pain level of 1.5, while a yellow jacket sting is about a 2 out of the highest possible (which is 4).
Therefore we can say that the yellow jacket stings are likely to be slightly more painful. However, neither of these gets close to the highest slots, which are reserved for the tarantula hawk and bullet ant (4 out of 4)
How many paper wasps are in a nest?
You can usually find lessthan 200 wasps in paper wasp colonies. Although paper wasps are social wasps, they live in smaller colonies and build a small nest that looks like an umbrella.
Other social wasps, like yellow jackets, usually have more than 2000 wasps residing in a nest.
Wrap Up
Both yellow jackets and paper wasps are capable of delivering painful stings. While the latter is less aggressive but it is always good to be careful around them.
Approaching their nest recklessly can be deadly. Therefore we hope you will use the tips mentioned in the article to move the nests.
Thank you for taking the time to read the article!
1 Comment. Leave new
I live in Saskatchewan in Canada. It was 1 degree Celsius today and I killed this I my kitchen