Having difficulty in figuring out whether it was a yellow jacket or hornet that stung you in the yard? Whatever is your conception about these insects and their similarities in looks, they vastly differ from each other in several ways. Let us discuss about these two wasp species and how they are different from each other. In the meantime if you are harassed by one of them, you should consult experts like BBPP, the most effective wasp removal services Maple and get rid of them without a second though. You know wasps are dangerous and are capable causing extreme pain with their stings and you will agree with this since you have already got stung by a wasp.
Whenever you search for hornets on the internet you may get a bombardment of Yellow Jacket wasps pictures, why is that? Whatever may be the similarities both the bugs are different from each other. In the following wasp guide we will discuss these differences.
Differences in Appearance
Both are not the same but both are wasps. They come from the family of Vespidae, a group of insects that can fold their wings vertically. Both these species have the same body parts, as they have 3 pairs of legs, 2 wings and paper thin waist that are common among wasp families. Here is where the similarity ends
If you look closely you will find they look different. Yellow jackets are smaller than hornets and they only grew up to 1-inch. Hornets on the other hand can grow about 1.5 inches. The largest species of hornet can grow up to 2.2-inches. The Asian Giant Hornet is normally 2-inches in length. Yellow jackets are distinctly yellow and black stripes in the middle and vivid patterns in rest of their body. Hornets tend to vary in colors such as the red, black and yellow mixture of European hornets. They have the same strips as yellow jackets in the middle, while the Asian Giant Hornets are spluttered with black and orange.
Different feeding habits
Yellow jackets and hornets have same feeding habits. When it comes to food their taste and choice point towards the same and both these species are predators. They hunt down caterpillars, flies, beetles and they take them to their nest to feed their babies. Both are scavengers and like to feed on sugary foods, fallen or rotting fruits on the ground, nectar, honey, sodas and candy bar. Feeding habits of hornets differ slightly and they also like to hover rather than sit and that make them easily distinguishable.
Yellow jackets are inclined to eat meat and carrion from big sized animals. They like to eat roadkill and also taste meat dumped in the trash cans. They like it so much they are being called as Meat Wasps. This is also one of the reason why house owners use meat as a bait to attract yellow jackets.
Different shaped nests
Yellow jackets build underground nests and they usually occupy burrows that were abandoned by rodents. Inside the burrows you can find layers and layers of honeycomb cells housing eggs, larvae and wasps numbering in several hundreds or thousands. On the other hand hornet nests are elongated globular nests with a single entry and exit point. They can be found in trees, building tops and other lofty places.
Now you should have come to know that both these wasps are different though they are uniform in several counts. Another similarity of these species is their ferocity against home owners with yellow jackets having an edge. Infestation of both these species is desirable in your home, so draw a plan to oust them from your home using experts like BBPP, most sought after Pest Control Service Maple who also serves most nearby towns. You can contact them on phone number 647-910-6315 or by sending mail to info@bbppcanada.com and get a free quote.