Hornets and wasps

Signs or indications

Wasps (usually yellowjackets or hornets) scavenging on dead bees or feeding on worker honey bees at flowers or at the hive entrance.

Description

Bee hives attract a number of miscellaneous pests. Social wasps—hornets and yellowjackets—will feed on dead bees at entrance or on the ground in front of colony. True hornets (genus Vespa) are not native to the U.S. but several species have been introduced. The European hornet (Vespa crabro) is well-established, particularly in the eastern U.S. The northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) was first detected in the far Pacific Northwest in late 2019, and the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina), was first detected in 2023 in the southeastern U.S. As of late 2023, neither of these two species has established or has been detected far outside the regions where they were first detected. For more information about hornets in the U.S., visit the North American Hornet Screening Tool.

Yellowjackets, both ground nesting and aerial species (Vespula spp.), are scavengers. In some regions (Pacific Northwest especially) they are capable of weakening colonies and are blamed by beekeepers for killing colonies, although they cannot do so. Trapping of early season queens (before nest establishment) and adult foragers is recommended.

Other wasps, such as mud daubers and paper wasps, may be found in and around bee hives and their nests might be found in or around stored bee equipment. They are not pests.

Most closely resembles

Other wasps or bees, including yellowjackets. There are several U.S. native wasps that may be called hornets but are not true hornets.

Resources

Kulhanek K and Hopkins B. 2022. Distinguishing Northern Giant Hornet Damage to Honey Bee Colonies. Washington State University Extension. Accessed 2023. https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/distinguishing-asian-giant-hornet-damage-to-honey-bee-colonies

Topitzhofer E, et al. 2022 update. Northern Giant Hornet: A Potential Threat to Honeybee Colonies in Oregon. Oregon State University Extension EM 9297. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9297-northern-giant-hornet-potential-threat-honeybee-colonies-oregon

Billings J. 2022 update. Hornets vs. Yellowjackets: Differences & Similarities with pictures. Go Pests. Accessed 2023. https://www.gopests.com/hornets-vs-yellowjackets/?msclkid=17d7a874cfca11ecb50be990d7e171b9

Breece C, Wyns D, and Sagili R. 2018. Protecting Honey Bees from Yellowjacket Wasps. Oregon State University Extension EM 9211. https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/em9211.pdf

OSU Extension. 2018. Yellow jackets. Oregon State University Extension. Accessed 2023. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/pollinators/yellow-jackets

Ramsey SD. 2021. Foreign Pests as Potential Threats to North American Apicultureapiculture:
the science and art of cultivating bees to benefit humans
: Tropilaelaps mercedesae, Euvarroa spp, Vespa mandarinia, and Vespa velutina. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 37(3): 545-558. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749072021000530

 Aerial yellowjackets working on paper of nest envelope; photo by Dewey M. Caron
Aerial yellowjackets working on paper of nest envelope; photo by Dewey M. Caron
 Yellowjacket eating apple; photo by Dewey M. Caron
Yellowjacket eating apple; photo by Dewey M. Caron
 Hornet  Vespa crabro , an occasional honey bee pest; photo by University of Delaware
Hornet Vespa crabro, an occasional honey bee pest; photo by University of Delaware
 Yellowjacket stealing honey; photo by The BeeMD photo collection
Yellowjacket stealing honey; photo by The BeeMD photo collection
 Yellowjacket feeding on a dead worker; photo by Robert Snyder
Yellowjacket feeding on a dead worker; photo by Robert Snyder
 Paper wasps; photo by Dewey M. Caron
Paper wasps; photo by Dewey M. Caron
 Mud dauber constructing her nest; photo by Dewey M. Caron
Mud dauber constructing her nest; photo by Dewey M. Caron