What Does a Wasp Look Like?

Identifying Wasps

Wasp is a broad term that covers an estimated 30,000 species of flying insects. The most common types in North America are paper wasps, yellow jackets, and bald-faced hornets.

These pests can be up to one and a half inches long and come in a stunning variety of colors including red, yellow, orange, white, and blue. These hues often appear in bands across the abdomen that alternate with a darker color. Stinging wasps typically look brighter.

Wasp Habitat


As their name implies, paper wasps live in papery nests that they construct in trees and the eaves of houses. Bald-faced hornets build similar nests. In both cases, the insects chew wood fibers to make papery pulp.

Many wasp species look like bees, but wasps can be distinguished by their narrow waists and pointed lower abdomens. Furthermore, wasps are able sting multiple times while bees can do so only once.

​Yellow jackets nest in the ground, often repurposing unused rodent burrows.

Stinging & Infestations

Wasps are attracted to sugary foods, making trash cans, soda pop, and backyard barbecues frequent targets. As such, wasps are often unwelcome guests at warm-weather gatherings. Their habit of building nests near places where people congregate puts the pests in near-constant conflict with humans. This creates ideal conditions for stinging attacks. To rid yards of wasp infestations, contact Critter Control for professional identification and safe removal.

Wasp Images

wasp in a hive

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