| So... What's a Wasp? What's a Hornet?
Wasps can be divided into three groups: parasitic wasps, which are beneficial insects, solitary hunting wasps, which hunt spiders and other insects, and social wasps which are the ones people encounter the most. Social wasps include hornets, yellow jackets, and umbrella or paper wasps. Hornets can be broken down into two main groups: the bald-faced hornet and giant hornet (English hornet), both of which are not aggressive towards people but they will defend their nest if provoked. Bald-faced hornets measure about 1/2", and giant hornets measure about 1" in length and have whitish and black bodies.
Yellow jackets, which can be aggressive towards humans, measure about 1/2" and are generally yellow and black. 
Paper wasps or umbrella wasps are 3/4 to 1" long, slender wasps with smoky black wings. Body color varies by species but range from brown with yellow markings to an overall reddish brown. These features can be seen in the picture of a paper wasp (right). Reproduction Patterns of Wasps and Hornets The queen starts the colony each year in the spring, and sometimes she is the same queen from the previous year if she was fertilized and survived the winter. She will lay her eggs in the small paper nest she has begun. The first hatchings are those that will develop from the larval state into an adult female worker. The queen will feed these larvae until they pupate. Once they have pupated and become adult workers, they will continue to build the nest, tend to the queen and other larvae, search for food, and protect the colony. Males are produced at the end of summer and mate before the colony perishes in the colder weather. Wasp's & Hornet's Habitat Wasps, yellow jackets and hornets can be found throughout North America in meadows, orchards, woodlands, playgrounds, cemeteries, and urban and suburban backyards. They vary in their nesting preferences. Although they all chew wood pulp to build their nests, yellow jackets generally locate their nests below the ground surface while hornets and other wasps build their large nests up in the trees. Besides locating their nests in trees, giant hornets will also build their nests in attics or house walls. Safer®Brand brings you a variety of effective insect control products that are gentler on the environment! Most of them proudly display the OMRI Listed® organic seal and comply for use in organic gardening! | 
