Wasps and Hornets
Wasps and Hornets have generally earned themselves a bad reputation. But despite their occasional aggression, these insects play an important role in the ecosystem. They are actually very important in keeping the ecosystem balanced. They are generally apex predators — so, if they're not doing well, it indicates that there is something wrong with the world. Wasps and Hornets are hugely beneficial to their native ecosystems due to the sheer amount of insects they capture.
Adult wasps don't eat the prey they kill (Unlike hornets, which do feed on their prey) - they feed it to their young. Social species capture insects, chop them up and carry parts back to the nest. Some solitary species are more sinister. For example, most spider wasps paralyse arachnid prey using a venomous sting. Their larvae then eat the victim alive.
Instead of eating insects and spiders, adult wasps - both social and solitary - only feed on sugars. In the wild, sugars come from flower nectar and honeydew produced by aphids. When on the hunt for nectar, wasps also become pollinators by travelling from plant to plant carrying pollen. While their contribution to pollination may not be as substantial as bees, wasps still play a valuable part.
Hornets
The European hornet (Vespa crabro) was introduced into New York in 1840. European hornet workers can be up to an inch (25 mm) long while queens are slightly larger and can reach 1.3 inches (35 mm). They nests in the ground or in hollow trees. This species is defensive of its nest and can be aggressive around food sources. Care should be taken when they are found in these circumstances, as they may sting without warning. Most cases of these stings do not require medical attention, but rarely can be serious.
Unwarranted fear of The European Hornet has often led to the destruction of nests. This has led to the decline of the species, which is often locally threatened or even endangered in certain areas of its native habitat. European hornets benefit from legal protection in some countries, notably Germany, where killing a European hornet or nest has been illegal since January 1, 1987.
The bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) isn't a hornet at all; it's a type of yellowjacket wasp. The bald-faced hornet is distributed throughout the United States and southern Canada, but is most common in the Southeastern United States. You have probably seen their huge, gray paper nests resting high in a tree.
Bald-faced hornets can be aggressive and defensive making them a threat to humans who wander too close to a nest or when a nest is constructed too close to human habitation. They vigorously defend the nest, with workers stinging repeatedly, as is common among social bees and wasps.
North American Wasps
Many people panic and reach for insecticidal sprays at the mere sight of a black and yellow striped insect without realizing that it may in fact not be a stinging wasp, but rather a harmless syrphid fly, a native bee, some other beneficial insect, or even a harmless wasp-mimic. There are said to be 18,000 wasp species in North America, and only a few of these cause problems to humans.
Yellowjacket Wasps
Yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula, of which there are around 40 different species found world wide. Yellowjackets can have a very diverse diet. Most species prey on insects to feed their young, and consume insects, nectar, and other sugar sources as adults. Several species are opportunist scavengers and will feed on a diversity of protein sources, such as carrion and processed meats, as well as carbohydrate sources including soft drinks, sweets, and even beer.
The German yellowjacket (V. germanica) first appeared in Ohio in 1975, and has now become the dominant species over the eastern yellowjacket. It is bold and aggressive and can sting repeatedly and painfully. It will mark aggressors and pursue them. It is often confused with Polistes dominula, another invasive species in the United States, due to their very similar pattern. The German yellowjacket builds its nests in cavities — not necessarily underground.
Yellowjackets Native to the United States:
North American yellowjacket (Vespula alascensis)
Eastern yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons)
Western yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica)
Prairie yellowjacket (Vespula atropilosa)
Southern yellowjacket (Vespula squamosa)
Common Aireal Yellowjacket (Dolichovespula arenaria)
Forest Yellowjacket (Vespula acadia)
Black Jacket (Vespula consobrina)
Cuckoo Yellowjacket (Vespula infernalis)
Northern Red-banded Yellowjacket (Vespula intermedia)
Hybrid Yellowjacket (Vespula flavopilosa)
California Yellowjacket (Vespula sulphurea)
Widow Yellowjacket (Vespula vidua)
Paper Wasps
Paper wasps (Poistes) have similar coloring and markings to yellowjackets but are slightly longer in the abdomen and have thinner waists and have orange antennae. These are the ones that construct nests of hexagonal cells; most often under the eaves of a roof or in a porch and these nests are used for one season and rarely get larger than a hand. They can and do sting, but in general they go about their business quietly, catching aphids and tending their young.
Mud Dauber Wasps
The Mud Dauber Wasps are either from the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae and as their name suggests, make nests out of mud. These may look like clumps of mud stuck on a wall, or occasionally like carefully constructed black organ pipes stuck together in sheltered places such as garages or porches. The wasps provision their nests with spiders so are very definitely friends! The wasps themselves are about an inch long. Like many other solitary wasps they don't seem to be aggressive and only chose to sting if threatened