Bug FAQTree Wasp
Dolichovespula sylvestris · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Vespidae
Source: Wikipedia
The tree wasp is a medium-sized social wasp about 11 to 19 mm long, with black heads and thoraxes and yellow striped abdomens. It builds paper nests in trees, hedges, or underground and is common in urban and rural areas of western Europe to China from May to September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It has the typical black and yellow striped pattern of many social wasps, with a black head and thorax and yellow bands on the abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Workers are 11 to 15 mm long, queens 15 to 19 mm, and males 13 to 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Tree wasps rarely enter buildings and are not attracted to human food.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
They are less aggressive than many wasps but will sting if their nest is threatened.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Nests are paper structures about 10 to 15 cm across with roughly four combs. Workers or the queen may try to stop other workers from laying eggs by stinging or pushing them away.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Nests are made in trees, hedges, or underground, and the species is found in both cities and countryside.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Workers forage for insects, plant nectar, and wood to make nest paper; the queen supplies the early nest with wood and food for larvae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Colonies last about 3.5 months, typically from May to September, and males develop from unfertilised eggs while females come from fertilised ones.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are most often seen between May and September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs across western Europe, central Asia to China, and has been seen in northern Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Their nests can be parasitised by the wasp Dolichovespula omissa and by roundworms.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
How can I tell a tree wasp apart from other wasps?
Look for a medium size (11 to 19 mm) with a black head and thorax and yellow transverse bands on the abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Do tree wasps sting?
Yes, they can sting if they feel their nest is threatened, though they are less aggressive than many other wasps.
Source: Wikipedia
Where do tree wasps build their nests?
They make paper nests in trees, hedges, or underground, often in urban or rural settings.
Source: Wikipedia
When are tree wasps active?
Adults are most common from May through September during their 3.5-month colony cycle.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Vespidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolichovespula_sylvestris
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.