Details
Vespula vulgaris
A black-and-yellow social wasp that builds paper nests and forms large seasonal colonies. Workers collect both insects and sugary fluids.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Uses woodland, grassland, gardens, parks, wall cavities, and other sheltered places. It is native across much of Eurasia and invasive in some southern regions.
Workers are about 12 to 17 mm long, with black and yellow bands. Face markings help separate it from similar yellowjackets.
A queen starts the nest in spring, then workers expand it through summer and autumn. Colonies defend the nest with painful stings.
Adults take nectar, sap, fruit juice, and other sweet liquids. They capture insects and pieces of meat to feed larvae.
Males and new queens appear late in the season. Mated queens overwinter, while the old colony declines in cold weather.
It can suppress pest insects, but close nests create a sting hazard. In introduced ranges it can pressure native insects and beekeeping.
