Bald Faced Hornets

Size  12-15 mm
Color  Black with white pattern on face
Body  Segmented and smooth
Legs  6
Antennae  Yes
Stinger  Yes – smooth, able to sting multiple times

 

Habitat:

  • Paper nests
  • Prefer trees and places at least 3 feet off the ground
  • Nests look like grey, papier-mache basketballs and are completely enclosed

Habits:

  • Aggressive and known to sting even if not directly provoked
  • Social insects that live in colonies of 60 to 100
  • Feed on flies, caterpillars, and spiders

Check out their Habits and Habitat here

Cicada Killer Wasps

 

Size 1” to 2”
Color Black with yellow markings
Body  Large, segmented
Legs  6
Antennae  Yes
Stinger  Yes, females can sting but males do not have stingers

 

Habitat

  • Prefer areas of full sunlight
  • Dig tunnels in the ground near where cicadas live

Habits

  • Breed rapidly and are solitary
  • Non-aggressive and unlikely to sting
  • Territorial and will defend the nest

Check out their Habits and Habitat here.

European Hornets

 

Size  ½ to 1.4”
Color Brown with orange stripes and light face
Body  Large, segmented
Legs  6
Antennae  Yes
Stinger  Yes, can sting multiple times

 

Habitat:

  • Prefer to build nests in hollowed out trees, wall voids, barns, attics
  • Will nest in abandoned beehives
  • Each nest can house up to 1,000 workers

Habits:

  • Active at night, unlike most stinging insects
  • Rarely aggressive

Check out their Habits and Habitat here.

 

Mud Daubers

 

Size  1”
Color  Yellow or black; or both
Body Long, slender with a very thin waist
Legs  6
Antennae  Yes
Stinger Yes- but rarely sting

 

Habitat:

  • Construct side by side tubular nests out of mud that resemble organ pipes
  • Prefer spots protected from the rain
  • Occupy the same nest site year after year

Habits:

  • Solitary, do not live in colonies
  • Non-aggressive
  • Feed primarily on spiders, but also plant nectar and honeydew
  • Have contributed to at least 3 commercial airplane crashes

Check out their Habits and Habitat here.

 

Paper Wasps

 

Size  0.75 to 1.25”
Color  Brownish with yellow or red markings
Body Elongated with a slimmer waist
Legs  6 – long and lightly colored
Antennae  Yes
Stinger  Yes

 

Habitat:

  • Paper-like nests that are like upside down umbrellas
  • Cells are open and uncovered
  • Nests often hang from protected areas like roof overhangs, trees, eaves

Habits:

  • Semi-social, small colonies
  • No worker bees
  • Feed on insects such as caterpillars and flies as well as nectar from flowers

Check out their Habits and Habitat here.

 

Yellowjackets

 

Size  ½” to 1”
Color  Black or dark brown, usually with yellow markings
Body  Segmented and smooth
Legs  6 – yellow
Antennae  Yes
Stinger  Yes – barbed and can be used repeatedly

 

Habitat:

  • Generally build nests in the ground
  • Paper-like nests made up of chewed cellulose

Habits:

  • Aggressive and territorial
  • Able to sting multiple times
  • Feed on fruit and sugar during summer

Check out their Habits and Habitat here.