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Wasps Found in Texas

Texas is home to many species of wasps, including one of the very few insects besides bees that produces honey. While wasps and their cousins are considered pests by most people, they are actually beneficial because they feed on many insects that destroy crops and plants. Still, wasps pose a life-threatening danger to those who are allergic to their stings.

  1. Paper Wasps

    • Paper wasps are small, about 3/4 to 1 inch long. They begin building their nests in spring, and lay eggs in the cells. Worker wasps are sterile and build the nest, feed the young and defend the nest. The queen stops laying eggs in late summer. In the fall the mated females leave to find overwintering sites. Paper wasps can sting repeatedly; males, however, are unable to sting. These wasps feed on insects and caterpillar pests.

    Yellow Jackets

    • Yellow jackets are members of the wasp family.They are very aggressive, and will attack if the nest is disturbed. Their nests are made from a paper-like material consisting of wood fiber. Unlike paper wasp nests, they are completely enclosed except for the entrance hole. The nest may be round or egg-shaped. In Texas, nest size may vary from a few inches to 6 feet or larger.

      Most yellow jacket nests are in the ground, but may also be in trees and on eaves of buildings and houses. Caution should be used in the yard, as their nests may hide under bushes and in flower beds. They can sting repeatedly. If you are attacked, run from the nest as fast as you can and seek cover.Avoid swatting as that only antagonizes them more.

    Mexican Honey Wasps

    • The Mexican honey wasp is found in southern Texas. It is unusual in that it is one of the very few insects besides bees that make and store honey. Wasp farmers, in the tradition of beekeepers, smoke the nest, destroy it and gather the honey. Consumers of wasp honey should patronize an experienced and trustworthy farmer because the honey can be poisonous depending on the species of flower from which the nectar was extracted.

    Cicada Killers

    • Cicada killers appear in Texas every July and August, when the cicadas, or locusts, are abundant. These wasps are very large, about 1 1/2 inches long, with black and yellow markings on the abdomen. Unlike most wasps, which are social insects living in large nests, the cicada killers are solitary wasps. The male cannot sting. The female wasp can sting, but this usually occurs only when they are accidentally stepped on or bothered.

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