Big Wasps That Look Like Bumble Bees

Bald-faced Hornet

• These wasps are white and black, as opposed to the bumble bee's yellow and black coloring. Like most other wasps, they also lack the fuzzy texture of the bumble bee. However, in shape and size, these wasps can easily be confused with a bumble bee. Bald-faced hornets are extremely aggressive when provoked. They won't hesitate to sting repetitively if they or their nest are disturbed.

European Hornet

• European hornets are closely related to bald-faced hornets and yellow jackets. The European hornet is shaped like the bald-faced hornet, but is usually slightly larger. It is a brown or dark red color and has orange stripes, which may look like a bumble bee's markings. Like the bald-faced hornet, the European hornet creates a round, gray nest in trees, walls or even under the eaves of a house. They are also aggressive when provoked.

Cicada Killer

• This is one of the largest wasps, sometimes growing as large as 1 1/2 inches long. They are most commonly found in the Midwestern states. These wasps are marked like a bumble bee, with black body coloring overlaid with yellow stripes. Unlike the bumble bee, they have a long, curving stinger. Although these wasps look dangerous, they are much more likely to hunt cicadas, in which they lay their eggs, rather than people. Unless provoked, these large wasps rarely sting.

Yellow Jacket

• Yellow jackets are one of the most well known wasps. They are about the same size as a bumble bee, and roughly the same shape, although, on closer inspection, their bodies are longer and less rotund than a bumble bee's. Yellow jackets are colored in yellow and black stripes. These wasps often make their nests in the ground, and when stepped on or disturbed, are highly aggressive.

Paper Wasp

• Paper wasps are usually quite large, growing to about 1 inch long. They are black, brown, or red with yellow markings. Although they are a slender wasp, their long size and coloration makes them easy to mistake with a bumble bee. Paper wasps get their names from the unique way in which they create their nests. They chew wood pulp, making it into a sticky paste, which they then use for constructing a habitat.