The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Laurie Kerzicnik (MSU Entomologist) wrote the article below to help Montanans prepare for the upcoming wasp and hornet season. Except for the Western yellowjacket, social wasps are typically not aggressive unless their nest is disturbed. Most are beneficial and feed on a lot of garden pests. The most common wasps are bald-faced hornets, aerial yellowjackets, Western yellowjackets, and paper wasps. They live in colonies, which include workers, queens, and drones. They all feed on insects. The western yellowjacket is a scavenger, feeding on garbage, sugary materials, and dead insects. It is...