Yellowjacket are small wasps that wear black and yellow stripes. They live in busy colonies and work together to build nests, find food, and care for babies. Kids love how they zoom through the air, and they’re helpful too—they eat bugs that can bother us!
Watch a Yellowjacket in Action!
See how yellowjacket fly around, gather food, and buzz near picnic plates.
What Is a Yellowjacket?
Yellowjacket is a type of wasp that lives in groups called colonies.
- They wear bright yellow and black stripes to warn others.
- They live together in paper-like nests made from chewed wood.
- They’re strong fliers with fast side-to-side flight.
- All the adult females can sting to protect the nest.
Where Do Yellowjackets Live?
Yellowjacket live in many parts of North America and build nests in different places.
- They often live underground in old animal holes or under sidewalks.
- Some yellowjacket build nests above ground in trees or shrubs.
- You can find them in parks, forests, yards, and sometimes inside buildings.
What Do Yellowjackets Eat?
Yellowjacket eat different foods to feed themselves and their babies.
- They hunt insects like caterpillars, flies, and spiders.
- They drink nectar from flowers and sweet fruit juices.
- They love leftovers at picnics—like meat, soda, and cookies!
How Big Is a Yellowjacket?
Yellowjacket are small but strong insects.
- Workers are about as long as your fingernail—around 1–2 cm (1 inch).
- Queens are bigger—about 2–2.5 cm (1–1 inch).
- They weigh about the same as a small paperclip.
What Sound Do Yellowjackets Make?
Yellowjacket make a loud buzzing sound when they fly close.
The buzz comes from their wings flapping very fast.
Cool Yellowjacket Facts
Here are some fun facts about yellowjacket that kids will find interesting:
- Yellowjacket nest can be as big as a basketball by the end of summer.
- They chew wood and mix it with spit to build paper-like walls.
- They sting many times to protect their home—unlike bees.
- They help people by eating pest insects.
- Some flies and moths pretend to look like yellowjacket to stay safe.
- In autumn, yellowjacket become interested in sweet foods from people.
- Only one queen starts a new colony each spring.
- By winter, almost all the yellowjacket die except the new queens.
Printables and Coloring Fun
Have fun with yellowjacket coloring and games!
Yellowjackets in the Eco-System
Yellowjacket are important helpers in nature.
- They keep insect numbers balanced by eating pests.
- They spread pollen when they drink flower nectar.
- A single nest can have up to 3,000 workers in summer.
- They are not endangered. Their numbers go up and down with seasons.
Ask a Grown-Up to Help You Learn More
If you want to dive deeper into yellowjacket world, ask a grown-up to visit these:
Fun Questions About Yellowjackets
Yes, they can sting many times to protect their nest.
Yes, they fly quickly with a buzzing sound.
No, they are wasps, but sometimes people call them bees by mistake.
They eat insects, nectar, fruit juice, and picnic food.
They build nests underground, in trees, or in walls.
About as long as a fingernail—1 to 2 cm (1 inch).
Yes, because they eat bugs that eat crops.
Yes, some harmless flies look like them to stay safe.
Ways to Donate and Support Yellowjackets
You can help protect yellowjacket by learning and spreading the word about how helpful they are.
Sources: Wikipedia, Live Science, Creative Commons, Britannica.com and Freesound.org
Alphabetical list of animals that start with Y
A full alphabetical list of popular animal names that begin with the letter Y for toddlers and preschool kids.
- Yabby
- Yak
- Yellow Ground Squirrel
- Yellowhammer
- Yellowjacket
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