Paper Wasps & Yellow Jackets

Missouri Stinging Insects: Wasps vs. Yellow Jackets

As summer peaks in Missouri, stinging insect populations explode. Knowing the difference between paper wasps and yellow jackets is critical, as their aggression levels and nesting habits require completely different approaches.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps are long, slender, and dangle their legs when they fly. They build open, umbrella-shaped nests that look like gray honeycomb. You will typically find these hanging from the eaves of your roof, under deck railings, or inside porch light fixtures.

Aggression Level: Moderate. They generally only attack if their nest is directly threatened.

Yellow Jackets

Yellow jackets are shorter, thicker, and have vivid yellow and black banding. They are extremely aggressive and territorial. Unlike paper wasps, yellow jackets usually build their nests underground (in abandoned rodent holes) or inside structural wall voids.

Aggression Level: Extreme. Simply walking a lawnmower over an underground yellow jacket nest can trigger a massive, swarming attack. Furthermore, yellow jackets can sting repeatedly without dying.

Attempting to seal a yellow jacket wall nest with caulk is highly dangerous, as they will simply chew through your interior drywall to escape into your living room.