Bug FAQAmerican Yellowjacket
Vespula alascensis · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Vespidae
Also called: Alaska Yellowjacket, common yellowjacket
The American Yellowjacket nests in the ground and lives in North America. It is treated as a taxonomic synonym of Vespula vulgaris.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is considered a synonym of the related species Vespula vulgaris.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 29 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Maine, Vermont.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where does the American Yellowjacket build its nest?
It generally nests in the ground.
Source: Wikipedia
Is the American Yellowjacket dangerous to people?
We have no source on whether it is dangerous to people, pets, the house, or trees and gardens.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Vespidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespula_alascensis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.