When it’s dive-bombing your picnic plate, you just want it gone. However, knowing which winged stinger you’re dealing with will help you react in the best way. We’ve put together a simple table to help you learn key differences between bees, wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets.
Bee
Appearance
- Darker golden yellow than wasps
- Fatter, rounder bodies
- Visibly furry or hairy
- Alternating black & light brown bands on body
What they eat
Pollen and nectar from flowers
Temperament
Not aggressive
Beneficial
Pollinate food crops
Nests
Made of wax, not paper
Stings
- Have barbed stingers
- Remove by scraping with a credit card or fingernail—squeezing will drive more venom into your body
Wasp
Appearance
- Yellow and black or mostly black
- Long, slender body with dangling legs
- Shiny; no visible hair
What they eat
Sugary food and drinks such as fruit, garbage, meat, and other human food
Temperament
Aggressive
Beneficial
Prey on pest insects
Nests
- Build small papery nests under eaves, roof overhangs, or tree limbs
- May build nests inside an opening such as between roof beams or walls of a house
Stings
Will sting multiple times
Yellow Jacket
Appearance
- Brighter yellow than bees
- Long, slender body, shorter than wasps
- Shiny; little to no fur
What they eat
Sugary food and drinks such as fruit, garbage, meat, and other human food
Temperament
Yellow jackets are particularly aggressive in late summer and fall
Beneficial
Prey on pest insects
Nests
- Build small papery nests under eaves, roof overhangs, or tree limbs
- May build nests inside an opening such as between roof beams or walls of a house
Stings
Will sting multiple times
Hornet
Appearance
- True hornets are not found in Minnesota
- Bald-faced hornets are a type of yellow jacket with cream and white coloring
What they eat
Sugary food and drinks such as fruit, garbage, meat, and other human food
Temperament
Aggressive
Beneficial
Prey on pest insects
Nests
- Build small papery nests under eaves, roof overhangs, or tree limbs
- May build nests inside an opening such as between roof beams or walls of a house
Stings
Will sting multiple times
Six Simple Facts About Stingers:
- Local beekeepers can help relocate honeybee colonies.
- Bees are round and furry. Wasps and yellow jackets are long, slender and shiny.
- If you see wasps or yellow jackets entering a small hole in the side of your home, it’s a sign of a nest that will be to be treated properly.
- Never seal a nesting site until you are certain there are no pests present—otherwise you risk driving them further into the home as they seek a way out.
- Wasps build nests in May and June. Take steps then to prevent them from nesting on your home.
- Yellow jackets are particularly aggressive in late summer and fall.
Allergies to stings can range from mild discomfort or rash to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Severe allergic reactions require emergency care.
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