Can Yellow Jackets Sting?
Yellow jackets have a stinger at the end of their abdomen. Unlike honey bees, a yellow jacket's stinger doesn't usually come out when stinging, allowing it to sting several times. As a result, disturbing a yellow jacket nest can be very dangerous! Some people are allergic to the venom in a yellow jacket sting and should seek medical help immediately.
Where do Yellow Jackets live?
Different species of yellow jackets are found throughout the world. In North America the European Yellow Jacket (German Wasp), the Eastern Yellow Jacket, and the Southern Yellow Jacket are very common. Yellow jackets live in hives or nests of large colonies. Depending on the species, nests will either be underground or in somewhat protected areas like a hollowed out tree or an attic in a building. They build their nests in layers of six-sided cells out of wood they have chewed up into a pulp. When dry, this pulp becomes a paper-like substance.
A colony of yellow jackets is made up of workers and the queen. The queen stays in the nest and lays eggs. The worker's job is to protect the queen, build the nest, and retrieve food for the queen and larvae. Nests grow over time to around the size of a soccer ball and can house 4,000 to 5,000 yellow jackets. Nests are usually lived in for one season as the colony dies off in the winter.
