There are over 30,000 species of wasps and they are distinguishable from bees by their pointed lower abdomens and narrow “waist”, a petiole, that separates the abdomen from the thorax. They also have little to no hair on their bodies (as opposed to bees) and don’t play much of a role in the pollination of plants. Their legs are shiny, slender, and shaped like cylinders.

There are two general types of wasps: social and solitary. Solitary wasps do not form colonies and live under ground or in tubular mud nests. There’s no caste system, as in the queen cares for its own young.

It’s during the late summer when wasps begin to get aggressive. This is due to the fact that the worker wasps’ job is done for the year and they’re waiting to die. As absurd as this sound, these wasps have nothing left to live for besides satisfying their sweet tooth. So, they become aggressive, bold, and persistent.

Hornets are actually a species of wasps. Hornets differ from other wasps in that their stings are more venomous (they contain more acetylcholine); they tend to attack for food as a colony, and their nests are all aerial (as opposed to many wasps species)