A Visual Guide to 19 Common Types of Wasps in Your Yard

Wasps get a bad reputation as unwanted picnic crashers and aggressive stingers But the truth is, most wasp species are not aggressive unless provoked. There are over 30,000 types of wasps worldwide, but only a small percentage of them will actively bother humans. Many wasps are actually quite helpful in the garden by preying on pest insects like caterpillars and aphids

This article will go over 19 of the most frequently encountered wasps in yards and gardens across North America. With pictures and identification tips, you’ll be able to quickly recognize these common wasps – and know which ones to avoid versus welcome in your outdoor space.

How to Identify Different Types of Wasps

There are a few key features to look for when identifying wasps:

Color Patterns

• Most wasps have bright yellow and black, white, or orange color patterns This visually distinguishes them from bees, which are often fuzzy and more muted in color.

• However, some wasps like mud daubers have dark metallic blue or black coloration. And “velvet ants” are bright red and densely hairy.

Body Shape

• Wasps have cinched waists while bees have rounder, plumper abdomens.

• They also have pointier lower abdomens compared to the shorter, blunter tails of bees.

• Wasps are skinnier and have longer, dangling legs compared to bees.

Behavior

• Wasps are generally more interested in meat and sweet things. Bees primarily just want to collect pollen.

• Wasps can get aggressive around food and may hover nearby, while bees tend to ignore humans and food.

• Wasps build exposed nests made of paper or mud, while bees produce hidden hives filled with wax honeycomb.

Next, let’s go through some of the most common wasps you’ll encounter near your home and in your garden.

Yellowjacket (Vespula species)

The yellowjacket is probably the classic backyard wasp everyone recognizes. There are several species, but they all have thick bodies banded with bright yellow and black.

Yellowjackets build paper nests in hollow trees, rock crevices, attics, and other protected spots. Their colonies can contain hundreds to thousands of individual wasps.

In late summer when nests reach peak size, yellowjackets become more interested in human foods and drinks. They can get aggressive if you stand near their nest, swat at them, or otherwise threaten them.

Yellowjacket stings are painful, and potentially life-threatening for those allergic. It’s smart to treat these wasps cautiously and call a professional if a nest is near high-traffic areas around your home.

European Hornet (Vespa crabro)

Despite its frightening name, the European hornet is not highly aggressive and is less concerning than yellowjackets. It was introduced from Europe and most common on the East Coast.

European hornets have larger, plumper bodies up to 1.5 inches long. They are identified by their brown or black coloration with yellow bands at the end of the abdomen.

These large wasps prefer to hunt insects rather than scavenge human foods. But they will defend their football-sized nests, made in old trees and sheds, if disturbed.

Hornet stings are painful but venom is less potent than a yellowjacket’s. Leave their nests alone and hornets won’t bother you.

Bald-Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)

Found throughout North America, bald-faced hornets are actually a type of yellowjacket. They have distinctive white or pale yellow markings on their mostly black bodies.

Bald-faced hornets produce very large papery nests, up to basketball size, often found hanging from trees and eaves. Their colonies can contain 700 or more wasps.

This species is one of the most aggressive yellowjackets. They can spray venom when threatened. Avoid their nests, as multiple stings from this species can be medically dangerous.

Paper Wasp (Polistes species)

There are many species of paper wasps, mostly in the Eastern states. They are long-legged, with slender orange, brown, or black bodies and smoky wings.

Paper wasps build open-comb nests out of chewed wood pulp under eaves and logs. Their small colonies rarely exceed a hundred wasps.

These wasps are generally docile and do not aggressively defend their nests. Their stings are not very painful unless you disturb the nest. Overall, paper wasps help control garden pests so are beneficial to have around.

Mud Dauber (Families Sphecidae, Crabronidae)

Mud daubers get their name from the mud nests they construct, which look like organ pipes or lumps stuck to walls and rocks. Their long, thin, black bodies also distinguish them.

Different mud dauber species provision their nests with spiders, caterpillars, crickets, and other insects as food for their offspring. The adults mostly just drink flower nectar.

Mud daubers rarely sting unless handled. Their presence helps control many pest insects, so they are very beneficial.

Sand Wasp (Bembix species)

There are over a thousand species of sand wasps in North America. They can be identified by their pointy abdomens with white, yellow, and black markings (though some are solid black).

As their name implies, these wasps dig burrows in sandy soil. Female sand wasps stock their underground nests with insects like flies to feed their young. The adults frequent flowers for nectar.

Sand wasps generally won’t bother you and are another great insect predator to have around your garden.

Velvet Ant (Mutillidae family)

Velvet ants look and move like large, hairy ants. But they are actually flightless female wasps! The much rarer males of this species have wings and fly to mate.

Velvet ants come in bright white, yellow, orange, and red color variations. They can deliver an extremely painful sting if handled.

Despite this sting risk, velvet ants are not aggressive. Their presence helps control other insects. Be careful not to disturb them if found.

Cicada Killer (Sphecius species)

As the name hints, cicada killers prey exclusively on cicadas, which their young feed on. These hefty digger wasps reach up to 2 inches long and can be intimidating.

Cicada killers have striking black bodies with yellow markings on their thoraxes and legs. They nest in burrows in the ground and are most active late in summer.

Only female cicada killers can sting, and they are reluctant to do so unless grabbed or stepped on. Leave their nest sites alone and enjoy watching them go about their bug hunting!

Spider Wasp (Pompilidae family)

Spider wasps, also called spider hunters, are clever predators. They paralyze spiders with their sting then drag them to a nest as living food stock for their larvae. Each egg laid hatches into a larva that slowly consumes its spider host.

These solitary wasps range from black to blue to orange in color. They frequent flowers for nectar and often pause on leaves and rocks with a nervous flickering behavior.

The spider wasps’ painful stings are reserved for unlucky spiders. They won’t bother you as long as you don’t grab them.

Ichneumon Wasp (Ichneumonidae family)

Ichneumon wasps are a highly diverse group, but most have elongated bodies and appears wasp-like. Their long, thin ovipositors (egg layers) resemble stingers but cannot sting.

Instead, ichneumons use their ovipositors to inject eggs into trees and logs hosting beetle and moth larvae. Their own young then eat the host.

So while creepy looking, ichneumons are very beneficial for controlling tree pests. They don’t bother humans.

Potter Wasp (Eumenes species)

Potter wasps construct amazing jug-shaped mud nests, hence their common name. Their nests can often be spotted on vertical surfaces like walls.

The wasps themselves are relatively slender and black-bodied with some yellow markings. They provision their pottery nests with caterpillars.

Potter wasps help manage garden caterpillar pests. Let them be, and admire their handiwork!

Mason Wasp (Monobia species)

Like potter wasps, mason wasps build nests out of mud. Their color patterns include black with yellow or white bands. Nests are flask-shaped and attached to crevices.

Different mason wasp species specialize on certain caterpillar types that they stock their nests with. The adults frequent flowers for nectar.

Mason wasps are another beneficial bug reducer that is not aggressive and can be safely left undisturbed.

Scoliid Wasp (Scoliidae family)

Scoliid wasps are some of the brightest colored wasps, patterned with black, white, yellow, and red. They have very short, fat waists.

These solitary wasps paralyze beetle grubs and green June bug larvae. They dig the grubs from soil and carry them back to deposit in underground nests—one grub per wasp egg laid.

The adult wasps drink flower nectar. If you have a garden pest like Japanese beetles, scoliids will be your friend! They don’t bother humans.

Tiphiid Wasp (Tiphiidae family)

Tiphiids are slim wasps with black and orange or yellow coloration. The antennae are compressed side-to-side. They are parasitic on beetle larvae that live underground.

Adult tiphiid wasps can often be found collecting pollen and nectar from flowers. Their presence helps control soil pests without harming plants or humans.

What Else to Know About Wasps

• Solitary wasps like mud daubers live alone, while social wasps like yellowjackets have caste-based colonies with queens, drones, and workers that cooperate to build shared nests.

• Male wasps don’t have stingers. Only female wasps can sting, generally when defending their nest.

• An average wasp lifespan is a few weeks to months, depending on species. Queens of social wasps live the longest.

• Wasps looking for meat or sweet foods can sometimes be deterred by keeping garbage cans closed and food covered when outside.

• Unless you have small children who frequent the area, there is no need to remove a wasp nest far from your living space. The wasps probably see your home as a territory border and won’t cross it.

• If you do need to remove a nest, it’s best to call a professional who has proper protective gear and knowledge of pest control regulations in your state.

Welcome the Helpful Wasps

As you can see, the vast majority of wasp species play valuable roles in controlling garden and crop pests. Their presence should be welcomed.

With a little knowledge, you can quickly identify the main pest wasps to be cautious around, like yellowjackets and hornets. For all the others, relax and enjoy observing these beneficial predators go about their business hunting bugs. Their presence means your yard provides great habitat!