![]() Because of their association with homes, German yellowjackets are found in urban areas where previously, yellowjackets had been absent for years. In contrast, the German yellowjacket typically makes nests off the ground and hence, uses wall voids and cavities in places like palm trees that are covered by fronds. Therefore, one typically finds the western yellowjacket around natural areas, in foothills and such and rarely finds them in the middle of urbanized regions. The western yellowjacket appears to nest predominantly in hilly areas and makes its nest in the ground in abandoned rodent burrows. There are subtle behavioral differences between the western and German yellowjackets. pensylvanica and the German yellowjacket, V. ![]() vulgarisgroup, the western yellowjacket, V. In southern California, there are two species representing the V. Basically, their scavenger behavior puts them into interaction with humans which increases the potential for sting incidents as well as being a nuisance which could curtail or cancel outdoor activities. ![]() These are the wasps which harass us at outdoor eateries, theme parks, receptions and picnics, congregate at bakeries or candy factories, seek out spilled sodas at sporting stadiums, etc. Although they do collect insect prey, they also scavenge meat which puts them into contact and conflict with humans. In contrast, the pestiferous wasps are members of the Vespula vulgaris group, which have nests with peak wasp population numbering in the several thousands and they continue their life cycle well into the late autumn. These wasps may occasionally seek out sweets from our sodas and fruits, however, most of the time, they leave humans and their food alone and they rarely show up in yellowjacket traps. These wasps typically make small colonies with only a few hundred wasps at peak population and the nests typically die out by the end of summer. atropilosa, a montane species, and north of Santa Barbara, one might find V. sulphurea, the California yellowjacket in the mountains and foothills, V. There are several species of these wasps in southern California ( Dolichovespula arenaria in the mountains, V. These insectivorous wasps ARE NOT scavengers for meat and, therefore, they are not pests at our picnics, outdoor receptions, campgrounds, etc. What this means to humans is that they are beneficial wasps because they eat many disease-spreading or crop-eating insects like flies, caterpillars, grasshoppers, etc. The Dolichovespula wasps and those of the Vespula rufa group are strictly insectivorous. Within the Vespula species, there are several groups, most notably, the Vespula rufa group and the Vespula vulgaris group. In the western U.S., yellowjackets belong to either the genus Dolichovespula or Vespula. There are differences among the yellowjacket groups that translate directly into whether a particular species is an urban pest yellowjacket.įirst, the non-pest yellowjackets. Yellowjackets are adapted for temperate climates so therefore, you find more species in the northern than southern United States and more in northern California in comparison to southern California.
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