Yellow jacket is any of a number of small wasps with black-and-yellow markings. Yellow jackets make nests of paper. They form the paper by chewing up old wood and plant fibers. The nests consist of many hexagonal cells inside a thick paper covering. Yellow jackets typically nest underground, but they build some nests in trees, bushes, hollow stumps, or the walls of buildings.
Most species (kinds) of yellow jackets prey on insects, which they feed to the young. They consume large numbers of flies, caterpillars, and other pests. Some species may feed on dead animal matter, such as rotting meat and decaying fish. Yellow jackets also eat ripe fruit, soft drinks, and other sugary items. Such feeding habits can make the insects a nuisance at picnics and campsites.
Like honey bees and ants, yellow jackets live in social communities that include a queen (mated female), numerous workers (unmated females), and some males. Large communities may contain several thousand workers. The workers raise each of the young in a nest cell. Yellow jacket nests almost always die in the fall. Only newly mated queens survive the winter. They hibernate in protected places, such as under bark or fallen leaves. In spring, each queen begins a new nest.
Yellow jacket workers will vigorously defend a nest when disturbed, and they can sting repeatedly. Some people have a strong allergic reaction to proteins in a yellow jacket’s venom (poison). These people may require medical care if stung.
See also Hornet
