Common Wasps of Kentucky
Pest Expert R. Michael Sizemore, President
7/9/2025
If you’ve ever been in a tobacco barn during tobacco season or on a swing set as a kid, you’ve probably encountered a wasp or two! These buzzing, sometimes intimidating insects are a common part of life in the Bluegrass State, no matter your income, your color, your creed, or your gender! So, whether they’re building nests on your porch, flying low over your backyard barbecue, or hovering near your trash can, everyone experiences an encounter with wasps.
Let’s take a closer look at the types of wasps you’re likely to encounter in Kentucky, what they’re up to during the day, how their life cycle works, and how to keep them from becoming unwanted guests.
Meet the Common Wasps of Kentucky
Not all wasps are the same and believe it or not, not all of them are out to get you. All wasps are beneficial, and only a few species pose a potential threat to humans. Here are some of the most common wasp species you’re likely to see around your home or yard:
Paper Wasps
These are the ones that build those umbrella-shaped nests under porch eaves, door frames, and swing sets. They’re long-legged, reddish-brown, or black with yellow markings, and while they can sting, they usually won’t bother you unless you get too close to their nest, but bother them, and they’ll return the favor, and it will leave you wishing you hadn’t disturbed them!
Yellowjackets
These guys get a bad reputation, and honestly, they earn it. Yellowjackets are small, aggressive, and love to crash outdoor parties. They build their nests underground or in wall cavities, and they don’t hesitate to sting if they feel threatened. Unlike bees, they can sting multiple times. The most pain I have ever experienced is when I was a young kid and stepped on a yellow jacket nest. They went up my pants and stung me in places a boy shouldn’t be stung! The facts are that these guys are aggressive, unforgiving, and although they aren’t out to get you, they can sure make you think they are!
Bald-Faced Hornets
Despite the name, these are actually a type of paper wasp. They’re bigger, mostly black with striking white faces, and they build those large, football-shaped nests up in trees or under rooflines. They’re very protective of their territory, so it’s best to give them lots of space.
European Hornets
These massive wasps look terrifying and with lengths up to an inch and a half, they’re the largest hornets in the U.S. These pests are attracted to lights and will fly around porches at night. They are relatively gentle unless disturbed. They build their nests within holes in trees, inside barns, and in attics or wall voids.
What Do Wasps Do All Day?
Wasps are surprisingly busy creatures. During spring and summer, they’re mostly focused on building nests and finding food. Many of them are natural pest controllers, feeding their larvae caterpillars, flies, and spiders. Others, especially late in the summer, develop a serious sweet tooth and are attracted to sodas, fruit, and picnic scraps.
Wasps are most active during the day and return to their nests to rest once the sun goes down. You’ll typically see more of them as the summer progresses and colonies grow larger.
A Peek Into Their Life
Wasps have a fairly predictable life cycle, especially the social ones like paper wasps and yellowjackets:
- Spring: A queen that survived the winter emerges and starts building a small nest. She lays eggs and raises the first generation of workers on her own.
- Summer: Worker wasps take over nest-building and foraging duties, allowing the queen to focus on laying eggs.
- Late Summer/Fall: The colony reaches its peak size. New queens and male wasps (called drones) are produced. These wasps leave the nest to mate.
- Winter: The original queen, the workers, and the drones die. Only the newly mated queens survive by hiding out in logs, soil, or attics until spring.
Why Do Wasps Matter?
While they’re not always welcome guests, wasps aren’t all bad. In fact, they play a significant role in the environment (like the ichneumon wasp). Most species help control insect populations naturally. Without them, we’d probably have a much harder time dealing with spiders, flies, caterpillars, and other pests.
Some wasps even help with pollination, though they’re not as efficient as bees. Still, they contribute more than most people give them credit for. This makes it ill-advised to exterminate wasps that aren’t posing a threat to humans.
Keeping Wasps Away From Your Home
It’s one thing to respect wasps in nature, but it’s another to have a nest by your front door. Here are a few simple tips to help reduce wasp activity around your home:
- Check early in the season for small nests forming under eaves, carports, grills, and sheds.
- Seal cracks and gaps around windows, doors, and siding to prevent yellow jackets from entering your walls.
- Cover trash cans tightly and avoid leaving food and drinks out in the open.
- Be calm around wasps. Swatting or panicking can make them more likely to sting.
If you find a large nest or wasps that are too close for comfort, it’s best to call in a pest professional, especially for underground nests or aggressive species like bald-faced hornets or yellowjackets. Check out this blog for ways to eliminate wasps.
Four Seasons Final Thoughts
Wasps may be scary at times, but they’re also smart, resourceful insects with a vital job to do. Knowing the types of wasps common in Kentucky, their behavior, and what attracts them can help you make informed decisions about how to manage and prevent them.
Whether you’re trying to protect your family from stings or simply want a peaceful summer outdoors, maintaining a respectful distance and addressing any nests promptly can go a long way. And if things get out of hand, Four Seasons Pest Solutions is always just a call away to help you safely handle the situation.
And remember, it’s okay to live among pests… but you don’t have to live with them!
