In years when the spring is warm and dry, yellow-jacket populations can increase to the point of making outdoor activities difficult. But few people are aware that yellow-jackets are voracious predators of insect pests such as caterpillars and flies. Why They Sting Avoiding Stings Products Identification and Detection Yellowjackets are a type of wasp but they are often mistaken for bees. Sometimes they are confused with other less aggressive predatory wasps, especially paper wasps. Yellowjackets are relatively short and stout compared to paper wasps.
Paper wasps have longer more slender bodies and long dangling legs.
Yellowjacket nests are spherical and are enclosed in a papery envelope with a small entrance hole at the bottom. Paper wasp nests are usually suspended from eaves or porch ceilings and look like tiny umbrellas filled with hexagonal cells. If you are finding many yellowjackets inside, you may have a nest in a wall void. Destroying Nests Because of the danger of multiple stings, we strongly recommend calling your local vector control district or a private company for information and assistance. Yellowjackets build nests in abandoned rodent burrows and other holes in the ground, in attics, in wall voids, in shrubs and trees.