This is the one that stings people. It defends its nest determinedly, can sting repeatedly, and becomes bolder around food in late summer. A sting is painful rather than medically significant unless you are allergic — and allergy is the real risk here.
We identify, we don't diagnose. If you've been bitten or stung and symptoms develop, or you're worried, seek medical attention.
Size12–16 mm
MarkingsShort, stocky, 12–16 mm — much smaller and blockier than a paper wasp · Crisp black and bright yellow banding with a hairless, glossy look
WhereNests in ground cavities, wall voids and under decking. Forages anywhere there is food, particularly outdoor eating and rubbish.
SeasonColonies peak and become most troublesome late summer into autumn
How to tell it apart
Short, stocky, 12–16 mm — much smaller and blockier than a paper wasp
Crisp black and bright yellow banding with a hairless, glossy look
Legs tucked up in flight, not dangling
Nest usually underground or in a wall void, not visible as a paper comb
The wasp at your drink or your bin in August is almost certainly this
Where you’ll find it
Across the eastern and central United States, with related Vespula species nationwide.
Nests in ground cavities, wall voids and under decking. Forages anywhere there is food, particularly outdoor eating and rubbish.
Colonies peak and become most troublesome late summer into autumn.
How it behaves
Early in the year the colony hunts insects and is largely ignored. By late summer the colony is large, the queen has stopped producing workers to feed, and the workers switch to sugar — which is when they arrive at picnics and become persistent. Nest defence is the serious behaviour: vibration near a ground nest, such as a mower, brings out a large number of workers at once, and each can sting more than once.
What a bite looks like
Immediate redness and a raised weal, often with a visible puncture. Swelling can be considerable and still be a normal local reaction.
Sharp burning pain at the moment of stinging, easing to an ache and an itch over several hours.
We identify, we don't diagnose. Seek medical attention immediately for difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, dizziness or a rash away from the sting — and for any sting inside the mouth. Multiple stings warrant medical advice even without an allergic reaction.
A skin mark cannot confirm which animal caused it. Read the bug bite and sting guide for the limits and the symptoms that should end an online search.
You’ve found one indoors
Do not swat — crushing a yellowjacket releases an alarm signal that recruits others. Move away calmly. Keep drinks covered outdoors and check the can before you sip, because a wasp inside it is how mouth stings happen. A ground nest near a path is worth treating professionally rather than at dusk with a can of spray.
Common questions
Is a yellowjacket a bee?
No. It is a wasp — hairless, glossy and narrow-waisted. Bees are furry and carry pollen. It matters because the response to a nest is different for each.
Why are they so bad in August and September?
The colony is at maximum size and has switched from hunting insects to seeking sugar. There are simply more of them, and what they want is what you are eating.
Can one sting me more than once?
Yes. Unlike a honeybee, a yellowjacket's sting is not barbed, so it can sting repeatedly and does.
There is a hole in my lawn with wasps going in and out.
That is a ground nest, and it is the single most likely way to get stung several times at once. Mark it, keep mowers away, and get it dealt with professionally if it is near a path or a door.
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