Which Common Pennsylvania Wasps Deliver the Most Painful Stings?

Quick Take

• One Pennsylvania wasp sounds terrifying enough to make you run, yet its sting barely registers on the pain scale. Meet the Eastern Cicada Killer →
• The most aggressive stinger in Pennsylvania isn't even technically what its name says it is. See the bald-faced hornet →
• An entomologist let 96 insects sting him, and his colorful descriptions of the pain have become the official scientific standard. Explore the pain index →
• One common Pennsylvania wasp has a second weapon most people never see coming, and stinging you is only the beginning. Discover yellow jacket tactics →

While many of us create pollinator gardens to attract bees, most of us aren’t so keen on wasps, even though wasps are also important pollinators. These stinging, flying insects can be a real problem for some people, especially those with allergies. However, among the tens of thousands of wasp species, the vast majority of them do not have stingers. So, which common Pennsylvania wasps deliver the most painful stings?

The Schmidt Sting Pain Index

There is a measuring standard for sting pain. It was created to rate the relative pain of insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera, which includes bees, wasps, ants, and sawflies. Entomologist Justin Schmidt, who grew up in Pennsylvania, subjected himself to the stings of at least 96 different insects, with the honey bee as a reference point. This scale is known as the Schmidt Sting Pain Index.

Pain is ranked from 1 to 4, with 4 being the most painful. The pain levels have also been compared to everyday experiences, with sometimes humorous descriptions, to help put the pain into perspective. Thankfully, stinging insects in Pennsylvania are at the lower end of the pain scale. Of course, those with sensitivities and allergies may have more severe reactions. However, most of the wasps in Pennsylvania have a painful but not too horrifying sting that most people can handle without significant medical intervention.

Sting Pain Level 0.5

This pain level is said to be negligible, like a minor prick that you may or may not even feel, depending on where you’re stung. Sweat bees and similar insect stings fit in this category and generally don’t bother people.

Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp (Sphecius speciosus)

While the name seems a bit frightening, these “killers” find cicadas far more sting-able than humans. Eastern cicada killer wasps look similar to yellow jackets and can exceed 1.5 inches long. Their bodies have yellow and black stripes and their heads are reddish-brown.

They appear in early summer and pollinate all season long. For this reason, and the lack of painful sting, many people choose to ignore any nests they find. If these wasps feel threatened, they will sting multiple times, but they are otherwise not aggressive. These solitary wasps dig burrows in well-drained soil in full sun.

Sting Pain Level 1

According to Schmidt, pain level 1 represents “minor, almost trivial, pain.” A number of common insect bites and stings you may well relate to fall into this category, such as red fire ants, Southern fire ants, and sweat bees.

The Black and Yellow Mud Dauber (Sceliphron caementarium)

Black and yellow mud daubers are solitary wasps found throughout Pennsylvania. Females build their nests out of hardened mud that can be found on man-made structures, including homes and bridges. They have black bodies with yellow markings on the thorax, black-and-yellow-banded legs, and a narrow waist. These wasps reach about 1 inch long.

These wasps are not aggressive and will only sting if they are handled or directly provoked. They do not defend their nests like social wasps, so the nests can be safely removed. However, mud daubers are considered beneficial, as they kill spiders to feed their larvae.

Sting Pain Level 2

As an anchoring value, Schmidt set the European, or western, honeybee sting pain level at 2. Level 2 stings are immediately noticeable and can cause significant pain lasting from two to five minutes. Many bees and wasps, including yellow jackets, are in this category.

Yellow Jacket (Vespula species)

There are nine species of yellow jacket in the family Vespula in Pennsylvania, all of which fall under sting pain level 2. Eastern yellow jackets are some of the most common. They are black with yellow markings on their bodies and primarily yellow legs. These wasps measure around 0.5 inches in length. Yellow jackets are ground nesters that make their homes in lawns, parks, woodlands, and sometimes inside homes.

In most cases, these predatory, social insects are actually helpful against pest insects such as caterpillars. However, the sting of the yellow jacket is painful and may prove dangerous for those with severe allergies. Yellow jackets are aggressive and will fiercely defend their nests, stinging multiple times.

Bald-Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)

Technically also in the yellow jacket family, the bald-faced hornet is not a hornet. It looks similar to eastern yellow jackets, only with white and black markings instead of yellow and black. Bald-faced hornets are larger than yellow jackets, measuring up to 0.75 inches in length. They inhabit paper nests suspended from trees or attached to man-made structures.

The pain from their venomous sting is similar to that of other yellow jackets, ranking at level 2. Schmidt described the pain as “similar to getting your hand mashed in a revolving door.” Although they are calm while foraging, they are aggressive defenders of their nests and can sting several times. They may also spray venom into the eyes of their victims, making them even more challenging to deal with. In many cases, homeowners need professional help to get rid of these flying insects.

Paper Wasps (Polistes species)

In Pennsylvania, you’ll find both the northern paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus) and the European paper wasp (Polistes dominula). They earn their name from the habit of collecting fibers from dead plants and wood and mixing them with saliva. The resulting texture is a grey or brown paper-like material they use to build their nests on eaves and overhangs.

Northern paper wasps are brown to light red and reach up to 0.85 inches in length. European paper wasps are yellow and black, similar to yellow jackets, but they are longer and slimmer. These wasps can reach 0.86 inches in length. These two species both register at pain level 2 on the Schmidt scale. Paper wasps are not naturally aggressive, but they will defend their nests. These wasps can sting multiple times.

European Hornet (Vespula crabro)

The European hornet is the only true hornet in the state. These large wasps measure up to an inch long. Their heads are reddish-brown and yellow, with a reddish-brown and black thorax. Their abdomens are brown close to their heads and yellow toward the bottom. European hornets build their nests in dark cavities such as hollow trees or in the attics of homes.

European hornets are highly defensive of their nests, but they are relatively docile when out foraging. They are unlikely to sting unless threatened or provoked. Stings are comparable to a typical honey bee sting. However, unlike honey bees, European hornets can sting multiple times.