skip to main content

California Gardening

Insect that looks like large Yellow Jacket

14 years ago

I have some kind wasp I guess that looks like a large Yellow Jacket that has been making small mud nests under my house eaves for many years. They don't sting, at least I have never been stung by one, and they are not aggressive. They seem to be constantly searching plant leaves for something, but they aren't eating the leaves. I am guessing they are looking for some insect prey, although I never saw them attack anything. They do not go on flowers so they are not nectar eaters. They make nests with about five or six adults in the small colony. Anyone know what these are, and can I assume they are a beneficial insect?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

gardenguru1950
14 years ago
One of our most common wasps in California is the paper wasp (a few species of Polistes). They are about twice as long as our common "yellow jackets" but not as proportionately thick.

They can, indeed, sting but they are happier catching caterpillars and stuffing them into their muddy-papery homes where they lay their eggs upon them.

Joe

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:532926}}
hosenemesis
14 years ago
Some mud wasps hunt spiders. It's like something out of a bad horror movie: they sting the spider, which puts it into suspended animation, then they cart if off to their mud nest, entomb in in mud with a wasp egg on it, and leave. The spider is consumed alive by the wasp larva(e?). Eeeewwww.

I love their mud nests, although the paper wasp nests are even prettier.
Related Discussions
Raspberry Crown Borer or Yellow Jacket
Q
Comments (5)
Glen, That's not a crown borer. Notice the small link where the abdomen connects to the thorax. The moths don't have that small linkage, but yellow jackets do. I disagree with Gator that single moths eat the fruit. I will qualify by saying I don't know what the adult moths eat, but I doubt it's fruit. Other clear-wing moths I'm familiar with don't eat fruit, and I be surprised if this one does either. One other thing is that the borer moths seem to have a different flying pattern than yellow jackets. The moths seem to "hover" more. If in doubt, you can always grab the insect :-)
...See More
Bees? Yellow jackets? Confused...
Q
Comments (6)
I've observed some wild bees around here that behave like that - they seem to be extra-hyper & zoom about, sometimes chasing each other & other bees away. They are greenish plus yellow & look sort of similar to the green Halictid bees. I've never been bothered by them, but I do keep a respectful distance. FWIW, there are more than a few kinds of bees & wasps & even some flies that disguise themselves as bees. I believe all are considered beneficials. Here is a link that might be useful: Featured Creatures
...See More
Yellow jackets/ground nesting bees
Q
Comments (7)
I found a website that discusses what might be these bees. http://www.pollinatorparadise.com/solitary_bees/FAQ.htm Particularly in the spring, it is not uncommon for Andrenid bees (genus Andrena), or plasterer bees (genus Colletes) to appear in large aggregations in lawns and bare ground. These are solitary ground nesting bees. The issue isn't whether they will sting or not. basically if allowed to run rampant it is impossible to get to teh front door. in the case where you are listing a house for sale that can cause real problems right? :) The bees dont seem to change location every year, they appear in the same south facing flower bed every year! So i'm wondering how to prevent their appearence altogether by putting the right pesitcide down wiht the mulch. Any thoughts? Thanks CHitra
...See More
Wasps, Yellow Jackets and Bees
Q
Comments (18)
Yeah that's almost definitely them.. A part I left out is the reddish color I see from their wings. I can't tell if they do have 2 sets of wings, but I can see how the shape of them would lead me to believe they have 2 sets.. I'll take a closer look next time I see them, and if they fit it'll put me at ease.. I usually see them while mowing the yard, they seem to like to hover directly over the freshly cut grass which puts me in very close proximity to them. Honey bees don't really bother me, their stings don't even phase me.. But Yellow Jackets, Red wasps and the like do, and that fear only grows as their size does.. As you can imagine, I've been quite nervous while mowing the yard, it seems to draw 5-10 of these things in.
...See More
napapen
14 years ago
I have both types and leave them alone as the IPM helpers. They overwinter in my sheds and wood pile. They also seem to recognize my voice as I talk with them when I am near. Once I saw a Mom come in and feed the 6 little one - it was like looking in a bird nest!

Penny
tanya47
14 years ago
I am a new gardener. At first I was afraid of these, as I hate yellow jackets terribly.
One morning I saw one hunting in my tomatoes, and catching and eating a little green caterpillar.
WOOT! I was like, you are my new best friend!! Thank you!
tanya47
14 years ago
I am a new gardener. At first I was afraid of these, as I hate yellow jackets terribly.
One morning I saw one hunting in my tomatoes, and catching and eating a little green caterpillar.
WOOT! I was like, you are my new best friend!! Thank you!

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Helianthus Maximiliani Attracts Beneficial Insects

By Pollination Press LLC

Maximilian sunflower’s striking yellow flowers light up the fall landscape and attract pollinators and beneficial insects at a crucial time

GARDENING GUIDES Look Out for Lacewings: Beneficial Insects Coming to a Garden Near You

By Pollination Press LLC

Lacewings are delicate insects that produce alligator-like, hungry offspring that devour aphids and other garden pests

GARDENING GUIDES This Fly Is One of the Most Beneficial Insects Around

By Pollination Press LLC

Meet the syrphid fly, a colorful pollinator that also beats chemicals for controlling aphids and other garden pests

GARDENING GUIDES Organic Matters: Thwart Insect Pests With Trap Crops

By Therese Ciesinski

Add a few sacrificial plants to your garden to lure insects away from the harvest

GARDENING GUIDES Great Golden Digger Wasp: A Beneficial Flower-Visiting Insect

By Pollination Press LLC

Introducing the great golden digger wasp, a colorful pollinator that also hunts foliage-eating insects

GARDENING GUIDES Small Carpenter Bees Are Looking for a Home in Your Plant Stems

By Pollination Press LLC

Provide flowers and nesting sites in your garden for this beautiful, tiny, metallic blue wild bee — your plants will thank you

GARDENING GUIDES How to Fix Bare and Yellow Lawn Spots

By Christine Tusher

Restore your turf’s good looks by reseeding unsightly patches

GARDENING GUIDES Look for Metallic Green Sweat Bees Visiting Your Garden This Fall

By Pollination Press LLC

These beautiful sweat bees will dazzle and delight you with their bright emerald green color and midsummer and fall flower visiting

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Yellow Bells, a Screening Queen

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

With its large size and copious golden flowers, this shrub can cover walls or screen unsightly views with ease

COLOR Best Ways to Use the Soft Yellow Color of 2014

By Jennifer Ott Design

You may fall for PPG Pittsburgh Paints’ Turning Oakleaf if you like your hues warm, mellow and cheery

Sponsored

Winks Remodeling & Handyman Services

1 Review

Custom Craftsmanship & Construction Solutions in Franklin County

More Discussions

suburban raccoon - should I do anything?

1

pruning fig tree

2

Do you defoliate your roses?

18

Cercis occidentalis from seed collected today 2/14/24

4

My California Rose Garden 2024

37