1. Physical Appearance: A honeybee has more hair on its body than a yellowjacket wasp does. A yellowjacket's body is smoother. A honeybee also possesses pollen baskets located on both hind legs. A wasp does not have them. 2. Stinging Ability: A yellowjacket is very capable of withdrawing its stinger from the flesh and stinging again. A honeybee can only sting once because it cannot withdraw its stinger. Instead it is torn out of the insect's body along with the venom sac and remains anchored in the victim's flesh. The bee dies shortly afterward. 3. Nests: Yellowjackets construct their nests out of wood pulp (paper). They build their combs horizontally with the cells located on the bottom surface of each one. Honeybees construct their nests out of wax. They build their combs vertically with the cells located on both sides of each one. 4. Habits: Even their behavior is different. Yellowjackets expect something in return when they feed their larvae. The larvae are stimulated into secreting a sweet fluid from their salivary glands each time they are fed by an adult wasp. After giving the babies some food, the adults greedily lap up this cherished drink. This process is called trophallaxis (mutual feeding). It is very crucial for the bonding of the colony. It prevents the wasp community from breaking down. It is different with honeybees. They work for nothing in return from the larvae. Also, social wasps feed their young on chewed up insect prey ('hamburger'). Bees feed theirs on a mixture of nectar and pollen. (Retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/vespids/tips2.html) The major difference between yellowjackets and hornets lies in their food preferences and their aggressiveness towards people. Early in the summer, yellowjackets are not normally aggressive towards people unless their nest is threatened. During this time, workers capture other insects as prey to feed to the larvae. In late summer through early fall, August through October, yellowjackets become troublesome and dangerous. Their food preference switches from proteins to sweets, and they scavenge at garbage cans and picnic tables. This is when workers are more likely to sting, even when away from the nest. (Retrieved from http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/pest/hpm7002.pdf)

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