Yellow jackets are some of the most notorious wasps, yet they are often mistaken for honey bees. The easiest way to determine that you have yellow jackets rather than bees it to look at the color pattern. Yellow jackets are always black and bright yellow, which gives them much more contrast than bees. They’re also smaller than most bees.

Unlike bees, wasps like yellow jackets can sting multiple times without dying. When they do, their stings are painful and cause swelling and itching that can last for multiple days. They’re extremely aggressive when outsiders approach their nests, so if you find a yellow jacket nest, it’s safest to avoid going near it and call a professional pest control company.

Yellow jackets tend to prefer to stay outside, where they have a reputation for ruining outdoor picnics due to their love of meat and sweets. When in homes, yellow jackets gather in groups and build their nests in wall voids and attics. If this happens, you may notice a growing wet spot on the ceiling, which is caused by liquid that drips from the nest. A nest contains nearly 15,000 cells, so if you find one of these, you should avoid going near it. Queens also hibernate in people’s homes after abandoning the nest for the winter.