Yellow Jackets summer party

Yellow Jackets are common visitors to picnics and parks in the summer as they are attracted to meat, fruit and sweet drinks.

These bee-sized social wasps are black with yellow markings on the front of the head and yellow banding around the abdomen. The face is primarily yellow with dark eyes. Front wings of Vespidae are folded lengthwise when at rest. The large antennae are conspicuous. Due to their size, shape and coloration these wasps are sometimes mistaken for bees. Yellow jackets’ closest relatives, the hornets, closely resemble them but have a much bigger head.