By Esther E. McGinnis, Horticulturist

NDSU Extension

As I ate my sandwich outdoors, a persistent yellow and black insect kept circling me. Getting closer and closer, it landed on my paper plate. I carefully shooed it away, hoping not to anger it. I have an innate fear of this insect, having been painfully stung years ago. This aggressive insect is a yellowjacket.

Yellowjackets, a social wasp, are more visible and downright hangry in August and September. They usually nest underground, but can also burrow into openings under house siding or shingles.

While I fear yellowjackets, the same is not true for bees. Bees have a separate lineage from wasps. This year, I have a bumblebee colony living under my front sidewalk. The bumblebees are using an old rodent burrow and the nest entrance is in a small flower garden. I am not worried about this nest because I know the bumblebees will not harm visitors or delivery people. In fact, I can safely work in this garden as long as I don’t get closer than 2 or 3 feet from the nest opening. When I push the boundaries, a bumblebee will gently buzz me that I am in its territory. I would not dare do this with a yellowjacket colony.

While statistics are hard to find, entomologists assume that more people are stung by wasps like the yellowjacket than by bees. Yellowjackets have aggressive natures because they are hunters and omnivores. They prey on insects to feed their larvae, but they also consume sweets like flower nectar and tree fruits. As food sources become scarcer in the fall, hangry yellowjackets congregate around garbage and your soda can.

In contrast, bees are herbivores with a more docile nature. They collect flower pollen for the protein and sip nectar for the carbohydrates. Because they are not predators, they are less aggressive.

Bees will not sting unless they are threatened. This reluctance to sting stems from the barbed structure of their stingers. If they sting you, they will die because the barbed stinger will rupture their abdomens. In contrast, yellowjackets have no such reluctance. Their stingers lack barbs, and they may sting multiple times without dying.

Have you been unfairly lumping bees and yellowjackets together? Learn to differentiate them. Most bees look hairy, while yellowjackets are smooth and have few hairs. Take the time to watch the bees in your yard. You will gain an appreciation for them and hopefully plant pollinator-friendly flowers to feed them.

While yellowjackets can be a pest, they also contribute valuable ecosystem services. They pollinate plants and help control smaller insects.

However, individuals may understandably want to eradicate yellowjacket nests if they are close to the house. Many insecticides are labeled to control yellowjackets and other wasps. The biggest concern is safely approaching the nest to make the insecticide application. The best strategy is to wait until nightfall to make the application. An even safer option is to hire an exterminator.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Sept. 24, 2025

Source: Esther McGinnis, 701-231-7406, esther.mcginnis@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson, 701-231-6136, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu