1573^9^ / iá States w^artment of Agriculture The Yellowjackets of Science and Education Administration America North of Agriculture Handbook Number 552 Mexico ~^' United States Department of The Yellowjackets of America ^""17 North of Mexico Education Administration Agriculture Handbook Number 552 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 ABSTRACT Akre, R.D., A. Greene, J.F. MacDonald, P.J. Lan- included for rapid identification of species, and a dolt, and H. G. Davis. 1980. Yellowjackets of glossary defines many of the unusual terms used America North of Mexico. U.S. Department in the text. of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook No. 552, 102 pp. Keywords: Hymenoptera, Vespinae, Vespa, Ves- This volume is a compendium of data on the pula, DolichovespulUy yellowjackets, pestiferous vespines (hornets and yellowjackets) hornets, yellowjacket biology, econo- of the United States and Canada. Sections cover mic losses, stings, sting reactions, taxonomy, biology, economic and medical yellowjacket keys, control, urban importance, and control. Illustrated keys are problems This pubhcation reports research involving pesticides. It does not contain recommendations for their use, nor does it imply that the uses discussed here have been registered. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate State and/or Fed- eral agencies before they can be recommended. CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic animals, beneficial insects, desirable plants, and fish or other wildlife—if they are not handled or applied properly. Use all pesticides selectively and carefully. Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus pesticides and pesticide containers. Trade names are used in this publication solely to provide spe- cific information. Mention of a trade name does not constitute a warranty or an endorsement of the product by the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture to the exclusion of other products not mentioned. Issued June 1981 CONTENTS Page Page Introduction 1 Vespula pensylvanica 69 Literature review 3 Vespula vulgaris ,.. 69 Taxonomy 3 Economic importance 74 Introduction 3 Beneficial aspect 74 Identification of genera and species . 7 Economic losses 75 Identification of members of Vespula Losses in agricultural areas 75 species groups 12 Losses in recreational areas 77 Key to Vespinae in North America 12 Losses in urban and Key to genera 12 suburban areas 77 Key to species 14 Medical importance 78 Vespa 14 Yellowjacket sting apparatus 78 Dolichovespulçi 15 Morphology 78 Vespula 17 Sting function 82 Yellowjacket and hornet worker gaster Venoms 82 patterns drawn to scale (fig. 25) . 23 Yellowjacket stings 82 Vespa 24 Fatal reactions to stings 84 Dolichovespula 24 Symptoms of allergic reaction 85 Vespula 24 Ancillary factors and Biology 24 sting fatalities 86 General 24 Emergency treatment 86 Hornets— Vespa crabro 32 Long-term treatment 86 Yellowjackets 35 Emergency medical kits 86 Genus Dolichovespula 35 Avoidance of stings 87 Dolichovespula albida 35 Control 87 Dolichovespula árctica 36 Nest destruction 87 Dolichovespula arenaria 38 Subterranean nests 87 Dolichovespula maculata 42 Nests in houses 87 Dolichovespula norvegicoides .. 45 Aerial nests 88 Genus Vespula 46 Use of poison baits 88 Vespula rufa species group 46 Chemical lures 90 Vespula acadica 46 Management of garbage 91 Vespula atropilosa 46 Biological control , 91 Vespula austriaca 51 Control of yellowjacket queens 91 Vespula consobrina 52 Fish or protein bait Vespula intermedia 53 (no insecticide) traps 91 Vespula vidua 53 Fish/wetting agent/water traps 91 Uncertain status of Vespula Repellent jackets 92 squamosa and V, sulphurea . 55 Control summary 92 Vespula squamosa 56 Acknowledgments 93 Vespula sulphurea 58 Literature cited 94 Vespula vulgaris species group 59 Appendix 100 Vespula flavopilosa 61 Glossary of selected terms used Vespula germánica 61 in the text lOO Vespula maculifrons 65 List of chemicals mentioned in this publication 102 The Yellowjackets of America North of Mexico BY ROGER D. AKRE, entomologist, Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. ALBERT GREENE, research associate, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Md. JOHN F. MACDONALD, assistant professor^ Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. PETER J. LANDOLT, research assistant, Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. HARRY G. DAVIS, entomologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration, Yakima, Wash. INTRODUCTION This handbook was written in response to a The most advanced social organization in this growing need for a general manual on identifica- family is found in the subfamily Vespinae, which tion, biology, and control of North American includes the yellowjackets and hornets. yellowjackets. With the continually increasing The term "yellowjacket" seems to be of popularity of outdoor recreational activities, American origin (Europeans simply call them more and more people are becoming familiar with wasps). It properly refers to all members of the these abundant, brightly colored, moderately genera Vespula Thomson and Dolichovespula large to large wasps, possessing a fiery sting Rohwer, although several of these insects are seemingly all out of proportion to their size. The white and black rather than yellow and black, and persistence of some species in partaking of both two northern species are also marked with red. our food and our garbage, as well as the construc- They are nearly ubiquitous throughout North tion of many nests in locations with a high prob- America with the exception of the major desert ability of accidental and unfortunate human areas and the uppermost latitudes with very cool discovery, often result in a pest status that summers of 6° to 10 °C (43° to 50 °F) during the ranges from mild nuisance to severe hazard. warmest month (fig. 1). True hornets are closely All true wasps belong to the order Hymenop- related but are much larger Old World wasps in tera (along with ants and bees), and have a fully the genus Vespa L.; one introduced species occurs developed sting. Of the 4,000 wasp species in the in eastern North America, and is included in this United States (Evans and Eberhard, 1970)' and handbook. 15,000 in the world (Hurd, 1955), most are It is small comfort to know that not only man, solitary and inoffensive insects that use their but other animals have problems with vespine sting to paralyze their arthropod prey. Fully wasps, as the following passage from Corbett social (eusocial) behavior in wasps is Umited (1955) makes clear: ''On reaching the kill the tiger almost exclusively to the family Vespidae, whose started blowing on it. In the Himalayas, and members use their sting primarily for defense. especially in the summer, kills attract many hor- ^The year in italic, when it follows the author's name, refers nets, most of which leave as the first light fades to Literature Cited, p. 94. but those that are too torpid to fly remain, and a 2 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 552, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE tiger—possibly after bitter experience—blows off fected, receiving multiple stings about the mouth the hornets adhering to the exposed portion of and refusing to feed for 4 to 6 hours. the flesh before starting to feed." During a 1973 What may be the first mentions of human con- outbreak of yellowjackets in the Pacific North- tact with vespines are references to fear of west, great masses of the wasps aUghted on both hornets by Middle Eastern peoples in the Old liuman and animal food in the Portland, Oreg., Testament of the Bible. "Even today, the hornet zoo. The Uons and tigers were particularly af- in the Middle East is a pest to be feared, their very cool summers major desert areas FIGURE 1 ~ Map of North America showing areas of very cool summers with the mean temperature of the warmest month 6** to 10 **C (43° to 50 °F). Yellowjackets seldom occur in these areas. Also shown are desert areas and moun- tain ranges, which influence vespine occurrence and distribution. YELLOWJACKETS OF AMERICA NORTH OF MEXICO ravages of fruit crops and honeybee colonies mak- of a serious allergic reaction to stinging are ex- ing horticulture and agriculture at times difficult, tremely similar to those of heart attacks and are at other times virtually impossible" (Spradbery, undoubtedly often mistaken as such. 1973a). As this handbook will demonstrate, yel- lowjackets in North America are no less an eco- The unsavory reputation of yellowjackets is nomic problem. In the early 1960's, the U.S. De- therefore, well-deserved, and in many cases partment of Agriculture (USDA) received 10,000 justifies control measures (although the methods requests per year for information on these wasps currently available often fail to deal adequately (Fluno, 1961), and the number today is probably with the problem). This handbook, however, will far greater. Yellowjackets are responsible for emphasize the paradox that yellowjackets are dramatic drops in park, campground, and resort also beneficial insects, which appear to be key fac- attendance, curtailment of logging operations, tors in the natural control of many pestiferous in- and the impairment of both fruit harvesting and sects. Lastly, it is hoped this work will stimulate forest fire fighting. Yellowjackets probably cause interest in yellowjackets for their own sake, as far more than the reported 15 to 20 deaths per some of our most fascinating and