Thanks to that sting, you probably haven’t taken the time to look too closely at the wasps you encounter. But actually, BC is home to several different species of wasps, all with slightly different behaviors. If you want to enjoy a wasp-free summer and avoid those nasty stings, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the wasps of the province.
Let’s learn about wasps.
TLDR;
If you’re seeing wasps around your home in British Columbia, chances are they’re one of three common types: yellowjackets, paper wasps, or bald-faced hornets. These social wasps build nests in trees, wall voids, eaves, and even underground, and they can become aggressive if their nest is disturbed.
This guide shows you how to identify the most common BC wasps, recognize their nests, understand their behaviour, and know when it’s safe to handle the problem yourself—or when it’s smarter to call in a professional.
Or Summarise this article with.
Types of Wasps in BC
Although there are approx 18 species of Wasps in BC, the 3 most common types of wasps (aka social wasps) are Yellow Jackets, Paper Wasps, and Hornets. They may have different behaviours and nesting habits, but when threatened neither hesitate to deliver a painful sting.
According to Royal BC Museum, as of 2018 there are 18 sub-species of Wasps in BC under 2 parents species, the subfamilies Vespinae (yellowjackets and hornets) and Polistinae (paper wasps) of the Family Vespidae (Order Hymenoptera).
The wasps that you are most likely to encounter in BC are the Common Aerial Yellowjacket, the Paper Wasp, and the Bald Faced Hornet. Now let’s look at them in a bit more detail.
Table illustrating the types of socials wasps
| Yellowjacket | Paper Wasps | Bald Faced Hornet |
|---|---|---|
| Vespula spp | Polistes spp | Dolichovespula maculata |
| – 10 to 16mm long – Yellow and Black – Builds nests underground and on buildings – Eats other insects, meat, sugars | – 15 to 20mm, more slender – Yellow and Black – Builds small nests in trees on buildings, no paper envelope – Eats other insects, meat, sugars – Referred to sometimes as the European Paper Wasp | – 15 to 20 mm long – Mostly black with white ‘bald’ face – Builds paper nest in trees and buildings – Eats other insects, meat, sugars – aggressive, painful stings and |
 |  |  |
Colour Differences
Yellow jacket wasps are much brighter with distinct black and yellow stripes. Paper wasps are not as bright, and are larger size may have red patches. Paper wasps are easy to identify in flight. They don’t pick up their legs like wasps and hornets, so the legs dangle. Hornets tend to be duller in colour, brown with yellow stripes. The bald-faced hornet gets its name from its black and white head.
Yellowjacket
When most people think of a wasp, this is what they think of. BC is home to several species of Yellowjacket, including the Common Aerial, the Western, and the German Yellowjacket. Like the other wasps mentioned above, these are social insects that live in nests with a single queen as the reproductive engine of the nest.
It’s the social aspect of their behavior that makes these wasps a threat to humans. These wasps will aggressively defend their nest and any food source they can find, and that’s why they sting.
Yellowjacket’s main source of food is other insects. These wasps are predators, and can also use their sting to immobilize prey, then bring it back the nest. However, they are opportunistic feeders and will eat many things humans will, especially meat and sugar. If you are having a picnic outside and there’s a Yellowjacket nest nearby, you can expect a few unwanted visitors to turn up.
Yellowjackets build their nests from wood that they chew up into a paste. When it dries, this forms a paperlike substance for the queen to lay eggs. Yellowjackets often nest in holes in the ground, but they are also capable of building nests inside structures in attic voids or under the eaves of a roof.
These wasps are very aggressive in defending both their nest and their food source. If you get stung by a wasp in BC, chances are good it’s a Yellowjacket that’s responsible. The BC Government even shares some decent advice on what to do with yellow jackets.
Bald-faced Hornets
The bald-faced hornet isn’t actually a hornet at all, but its large size has given it the name of a hornet anyway. Identifiable by their white face and otherwise mostly black bodies, these wasps are some of the scariest-looking you’ll find in BC.
However, despite their looks, these wasps are less aggressive than the common Yellowjackets. With that said, they will defend their nest if they feel it’s under attack and are capable of delivering a painful sting.
Like Yellowjackets, these wasps build enclosed paper nests to house the queen and her young. The nests are often in trees, sometimes as high as 20 meters up. However, they can also build nests under the eaves of a roof. These nests are generally exposed. Unlike Yellowjackets, bald-faced Hornets are very unlikely to build a nest inside your attic.
Paper Wasps
Paper wasps are large wasps that have a similar black and yellow color scheme to Yellowjackets, but can be identified by their larger size. Not nearly as aggressive as Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps also build nests out of paper, but the cells of the nest are open instead of enclosed like they are in a Yellowjacket or Bald-faced hornet nest.
Paper wasps (aka umbrella wasps), build much smaller nests than other wasps, never usually getting bigger than a few dozen individual wasps. They hang their nests from tree branches and will also build them in a protected place on a building, such as under the eaves, inside a porch, underneath the deck, or underneath roof tiles. Luckily, these wasps usually only sting if they feel you are threat to their nest.
European Paper Wasps are more slender body with longer legs, but like it’s cousin packs a nasty sting. Traditionally not native to North America, these wasps are black and yellow with a predominately orange antennae, and are often mistaken for Yellowjackets.
What about the Murder Hornet?
Sounds terrifying, doesn’t it? The term Murder Hornet is a name the media has given to the Asian Giant Hornet. This is the world’s largest hornet at up to 3 inches/76 mm in length, which makes them a pretty terrifying insect to encounter.
Native to East Asia, this hornet has been seen in the Pacific Northwest, including in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and at an undisclosed location close to the US border. So far, it doesn’t seem that these hornets have become a true invasive species.
Despite the media-friendly name, Murder Hornets don’t pose a significant risk to humans. After all, humans have been coexisting with them forever in Asia. Due to their size, they do inject a higher quantity of venom than native wasps when they sting. In China, the authorities recommend seeking medical help for more than 10 stings.
If you see a murder hornet, report it to the B.C. Invasive Species Council at 1-888-933-3722 or at bcinvasives.ca/report. These bugs may not be the threat to humans the media makes them out to be, but they are extremely dangerous to honeybees.
Black Wasps in BC: Should You Worry? 🖤
Every summer we get calls about “big scary black wasps.” In most cases, homeowners are looking at mud daubers or great black wasps.
These wasps look intimidating. Long bodies. Dark colour. Slow, deliberate flight. But their behaviour is surprisingly calm.
Mud daubers build small mud tubes on walls, garages, and sheds. Inside those tubes they store spiders as food for their larvae. Sounds dramatic, but they rarely sting people and generally keep to themselves.
Great black wasps hunt grasshoppers and katydids. They patrol gardens and fields like tiny aerial hunters.
You might still remove the nests if they appear near doors or play areas. Otherwise, many homeowners simply leave them alone since they help control other insects.
Other Wasps
Along with these species, there are many other wasps that call BC home. However, many of these species, such as the Mud Dauber, are not social. They prey on other insects and may build a nest on or inside your home, but they are not aggressive to humans and only sting in defense of their nest. Many of these solitary wasps are quite beautiful, and they are beneficial to humans by keeping down the population of other insects.
Westside Pro Tip 💡
If you want to locate a hidden yellowjacket nest, try this simple trick.
Place a small piece of fruit or meat on a plate in the yard and step back for a few minutes. Watch where the wasps fly when they leave with a snack. Most will head straight back to the colony.
Follow their flight path from a safe distance. The entrance often appears as a small hole in the lawn, a crack near the foundation, or a gap under siding.
Once you know where the nest is, do not block the entrance. That traps the colony inside and they will chew their way out somewhere else. We have seen them emerge through drywall, light fixtures, and vents. If the nest sits near foot traffic, it’s best to bring in a professional for safe removal.
Wasp Control
Wasp control, including nest removal is a delicate process, and not as simple as whacking it with a broom. You might be left worse off if you attempt the broom-whack. To avoid any potential harm, it’s best left to the professionals who have the right protective gear as well as the knowledge to deal with each specific species of wasp.
Wasp Stings
The reason wasps scare the socks off us, is because they sting! For those who are allergic to the wasp’s venom, estimated to be around 3% of the population, this can be life-threatening. With that said, for the vast majority of the population, wasp stings are a painful nuisance, but not in any way dangerous.
If you are stung by a wasp, wash the sting immediately with soap and water. A small amount of apple cider vinegar can help to neutralize the wasp’s venom and reduce the pain. Hydrocortisone cream can also be useful to reduce itchiness and swelling.
Need help with Wasp Control?
If you suspect you may be allergic to wasps, it’s best to keep your distance from these pests. If you have a wasp nest on your property, call the professionals at Westside Pest Control who can quickly and safely take care of your wasp problem so you can get on with enjoying your summer.