This includes nest construction, collection of food and rearing of young. The first yellowjackets produced tend to be small, due to a relative lack of food and attention. However, these can then assist in the rearing of later siblings and colonies begin to expand rapidly during early summer, peaking in late August or early September. A few queens and some males are produced during the end of the colony cycle. The nests are similar to, but smaller than, those of the hornets and are not produced in exposed locations.
Honeybees are also more orange, whereas yellowjackets are distinctly yellow.
Both have some dark banding. Honeybees, as collectors of pollen, are much more hairy-bodied than yellowjackets. While foraging, honeybees are pretty mellow. Yellowjackets are general scavengers, tending towards protein-rich material early in the season and sugary products later. Honeybees develop on pollen and nectar, occasionally also scavenging very sugar-rich products, along with yellowjackets.