Yellow jackets and hornets are two closely related species of wasps. Both are members of the Vespidae classification and usually function in similar ways. Hornets are typically larger than yellow jackets and measure up to 2.2 inches long. The colors of the two species can appear similar, but yellow jackets are mainly black with multiple patterns in yellow. Hornets usually only have one yellow stripe across their backs and a dark brown shell. Another characteristic that helps distinguish these two species is the hornet’s distinctive head, which is larger than the heads of most other wasps.

Yellow jackets typically live for the fairly short period of six months to a year, depending on the role they play within the colony. A single queen forms a yellow jacket colony to provide a place for her eggs to hatch. Normally this takes between five and eight days.

This usually takes five to eight days, then another two weeks for the newborn to mature into functional adults. The first group of workers is normally female and once mature they assume all aspects of the queen except for laying eggs. This will include foraging for food, expanding the nest, and caring for the young.

The queen continues to repopulate the hive with her remaining eggs, but when she dies another dominant female will take on the role of queen. Some males are responsible for fertilizing the queen and these males never leave the hive unless they are defending their home or fly off to die. Other males concentrate on making the hive larger and finding as much food as they can, mainly other insects

Hornets typically will not scavenge through leftover human food to feed their colony, but yellow jackets will. Once late autumn approaches, almost all the hive will either be dead or struggling to feed the queen enough to enable her to hibernate for the winter. By the end of autumn, every hornet and yellow jacket will be dead except for the queen. Assuming their efforts were sufficient, the cycle begins again the next spring.

Hornets and yellow jackets have similar venom. A single sting from either species does not present a significant threat, unless the person has an allergic reaction. An average of only one person in a thousand will experience symptoms such as a severe headache, difficulty breathing, an elevated pulse rate, or a combination of all three. If any these symptoms occur, immediately seek medical treatment. People who do not have this type of reaction commonly experience localized pain in the region of the sting and possibly soreness and swelling for a few hours after being stung. Most of the discomfort can be alleviated almost immediately by applying an ice pack.

Both species are capable of stinging multiple times and can emit a type of distress call if they feel the hive is endangered. When this happens it is likely that the entire hive will attack in unison and multiple stings can be dangerous to those even without allergies. For this reason alone, it is recommended that large infestations are best handled by a professional with the experience and resources to destroy the colony with limited risk.

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