What's the difference between a wasp and a hornet?

Question

And which are yellow jackets? God those things are awful the last few weeks, they seem to be everywhere I go.

Answer 1

HOrnets are extremely agressive and will get you even if you are far enough away from their nest that you wouldn't think you would be a threat...They look like a longer bee.  Wasps will get you if you get too close...Yellow Jackets  I get confused over..they are either like hornets or we used to call the big black and yellow bumble bees yellow jackets...

Was that 13 pound question about me?   I'm up to 15lbs lost now....tada...thanks for the stars...!!!!  * wink*

Answer 2

a wasp can sting

Answer 3

The words are often interchangeble but in general teh wasp has a thread waist.  Yellow jackets are hornets. They may be troublesome and sting but they are garbage collectors breaking done decaying organic material.

Answer 4

Hornets are the largest eusocial wasps, that reach up to 45 millimetres (1.8 inches) in length. The true hornets make up the genus Vespa, and are distinguished from other vespines by the width of the vertex (part of the head behind the eyes), which is proportionally larger in Vespa; and by the anteriorly rounded gasters (the section of the abdomen behind the wasp waist)

A hornet's sting is painful to humans, but the sting toxicity varies greatly by hornet species. Some deliver just a typical insect sting, while others are among the most venomous known insects.

Allergic reactions, fatal in severe cases, can occur—an individual suffering from anaphylactic shock may die unless treated immediately via epinephrine ("adrenaline") injection using a device such as an EpiPen, with prompt followup treatment in a hospital.

Alarm escalation

Hornets, like many social wasps, can mobilize the entire nest to sting in defense: this is highly dangerous to humans. The hornet alarm pheromone is used to raise alarm of nest attack, and to identify prey, for example bees [7]. It is not advisable to kill a hornet anywhere near a nest, as the distress signal can trigger the entire nest to attack. Materials that come in contact with pheromone, such as clothes, skin, dead prey or hornets, must be removed from the vicinity of the hornets nest. Perfumes, and other volatile chemicals can be falsely identified as pheromone by the hornets and trigger attack.

[edit] Actions to avoid

    * Disturbing a nest (including vibrations and loud noises)

    * Being within a few meters of a nest

    * Disturbing or killing a hornet within a few meters of a nest

    * Blocking the path of a hornet

    * Breathing on the nest or hornet

    * Rapid air movements

These yellow and black wasps are social insects and live in underground nests of up to around 10,000 workers.

It has a yellow head with a black top, a black thorax with yellow on its sides, a yellow abdomen with black bands, black antennae and yellow legs.

Habitat

Wasps are found in gardens, woodland and meadows.