Honey Bee vs Yellowjacket
Honey Bees and yellowjackets are easy to mix up at a glance, but a few details separate them quickly. Here is how to tell which one you found and what, if anything, you should do about it.
Quick answer
Check for this first. A honey bee has golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands, while a yellowjacket has smooth, shiny yellow and black body with little hair.
Side-by-side comparison
| Honey Bee | Yellowjacket | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Bees & Wasps | Bees & Wasps |
| Scientific name | Apis mellifera | Vespula maculifrons |
| Size | 12–15 mm | 10–16 mm |
| Colors | Yellow, Brown and Black | Yellow and Black |
| Legs | 6 legs | 6 legs |
| Wings | Yes | Yes |
| Bites or stings | Stings | Stings |
| Risk | Can bite or sting | Health risk |
| Key feature | Golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands | Smooth, shiny yellow and black body with little hair |
Key differences
- Color: Honey Bees are yellow, brown and black; yellowjackets are yellow and black.
- Risk: the honey bee can bite or sting, usually with mild, local effects, while the yellowjacket can cause medically significant bites, stings or disease.
- Where found: look for honey bees in gardens and on plants; yellowjackets turn up in lawns and grass, in yards and on patios and in gardens and on plants.
- Signature feature: Honey Bees: golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands. Yellowjackets: smooth, shiny yellow and black body with little hair.
How to identify honey bees
A fuzzy, golden-brown bee with darker bands that pollinates crops and flowers and lives in large colonies. A worker's barbed stinger stays in the skin after it stings.
- Golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands
- Hairy thorax and pollen baskets on the hind legs
- Barbed stinger left behind after stinging
How to identify yellowjackets
A sleek, bright yellow-and-black wasp that nests underground or in wall voids. Late-summer workers scavenge for sweets and meat and are drawn to picnics and trash cans.
- Smooth, shiny yellow and black body with little hair
- Narrow waist and wings folded lengthwise at rest
- Rapid side-to-side flight near nest entrances
Which one is more dangerous?
The yellowjacket carries more risk. Yellowjackets sting repeatedly and defend nests aggressively; multiple stings or an allergy can be dangerous.
A honey bee sting is painful and can trigger life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive people; call a local beekeeper for swarms. Yellowjackets sting repeatedly and defend nests aggressively; multiple stings or an allergy can be dangerous.
Where and when you'll see each
Honey Bees turn up in gardens and on plants, mostly in spring, summer and fall. Yellowjackets turn up in lawns and grass, in yards and on patios and in gardens and on plants, mostly in summer and fall.
Because they share habitat, you may find both in the same place, so check each individual.
What to do if you find one
Honey Bees: no control is needed. A honey bee sting is painful and can trigger life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive people; call a local beekeeper for swarms.
Yellowjackets: Keep lids on trash and cover food and drinks outdoors. Read the full removal guide for more.
Biology: bees & wasps
Bees and wasps belong to the same order as ants. Social species such as honey bees, bumble bees, yellowjackets and hornets live in colonies with a queen, while solitary species such as mud daubers and cicada killers raise their young alone. Only females can sting, because the stinger is a modified egg-laying tube.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between honey bees and yellowjackets?
Color: Honey Bees are yellow, brown and black; yellowjackets are yellow and black.
Which is bigger, a honey bee or a yellowjacket?
Honey Bee: 12–15 mm. Yellowjacket: 10–16 mm.
Do honey bees or yellowjackets bite?
Honey Bees do not bite and can sting. Yellowjackets do not bite and can sting.
Where are they usually found?
Honey Bees: in gardens and on plants. Yellowjackets: in lawns and grass, in yards and on patios and in gardens and on plants.