What Do Yellowjackets Eat? 12 Foods in their Diet!

Written by Taiwo Victor
Updated: July 10, 2023
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When we talk about insects, we usually think of pests. But there are tons of types of insects that are actually not as harmful, and which, as a matter of fact, help control pests rather than propagate them. Wasps are one of the perfect examples of insects that help uphold the environment. They are vastly beneficial to their own ecosystems and others’ because of the ample amount of harmful insects they capture. One the most common wasps, the yellowjacket, helps backyards, gardens, and other natural habitats in ways people aren’t usually aware of. So, what do yellowjackets eat that they’re so helpful to pest control? Let’s dive in!

The Background on Yellowjackets

What do yellowjackets eat - yellowjacket eating sockeye salmon

Yellowjackets eat nectar and other sweets such as fruits. In addition they’ll also

eat meats and also insects

©Ernie Cooper/Shutterstock.com

There are many species of yellowjackets in the United States, belonging to the Vespidae taxonomic family. Yellowjacket queens can lay over 25,000 eggs in a single season, and their nests can hold up to 5,000 wasps at a time. The first generation of yellowjackets are responsible for caring and feeding the queen, as well as her progeny.

Yellowjackets aid in pollination, but their lack of fluffiness makes them less effective than honey bees or bumblebees. Rather than being attracted to flowers, yellowjackets are a godsend to gardeners due to their eating habits, which brings us to the question –what do yellowjackets eat? 

What do Yellowjackets eat?

What do yellowjackets eat - yellowjackets on apple

As adults, yellowjackets prefer foods full of carbohydrates like fruit and nectar

©Jim Lambert/Shutterstock.com

Adult yellowjackets eat sugars and carbohydrates as part of their primary diet, however they’ll also eat insects, meats, and even fish!

Sugars and carbohydrates that yellowjackets eat are primarily found in the following foods:

  • Fruits
  • Flower
  • Nectar
  • Tree Sap
  • Fruit juices
  • Foods rich in sugar

To collect the aforementioned foods’ sugar, yellowjackets stick their long tongues into the food source.

Yellowjacket larvae feed on proteins coming from:

  • Insects: flies, crickets, aphids
  • Caterpillar
  • Moths
  • Spiders
  • Meat
  • Fish

For their larval stage, yellowjackets needs protein. Adults hunt other insects and bring them back to the colony to feed the young, which are chewed and conditioned in preparation for larval consumption. That’s also how gardeners benefit from yellowjackets in their yards!

Aphids, beetle grubs, cabbage worms, flies, crickets, and other crop-damaging insects are all prey for yellowjackets. They also eat spiders, which is a bit of a mixed bag because spiders prey on pests as well, though some are quite dangerous. In addition to eating caterpillars, yellowjackets also eat moths, but don’t assume that they’re butterfly killers just because they eat caterpillars.

Yellowjackets also eat bugs that have already died. If that doesn’t sound important, experts will tell you that it is… so you can thank yellowjackets for keeping your yard free of dead insects! In a 2,000-square-foot yard, yellowjackets are estimated to consume more than two pounds of bugs in the form of live or dead insects.

How do Yellowjackets Feed their Young?

What do yellowjackets eat - Yellowjacket eating salmon

Yellowjackets will return food to a nest for their young to eat

©Ernie Cooper/Shutterstock.com

Larvae wiggle to signal to female workers that they are hungry. Then, a female worker wasp leaves the nest to search for food, captures its prey, and returns to the nest after finding a suitable food source. The female worker uses her powerful jaws to chew the prey, slice it into manageable pieces until it turns into paste. In this way, the immobile larvae are able to eat their food more easily. The female worker tickles the larvae to trigger them to secrete liquid through its salivary glands. Once the larvae begin to produce a sugary liquid, the worker feeds on it, and in the process of drinking, it transfers the paste back to the larvae using their salivary glands. This exchange of food between the adults and larvae is known as trophallaxis.

What do Yellowjackets Eat in the Late Summer and Fall?

As a group of social wasps, yellowjackets prefer to eat insects and obtain their sugar supply from a colony process. But normal food supplies run low in the late summer and early fall as insect sources usually diminish by these seasons. One major source of conflict between humans and yellowjackets is when the latter forage for alternative food sources. Any sugary substance such as carbonated drinks, juices, candies, a long list of meats, cakes, fruits, and vegetables, as well as ice cream, are all their favorites. Large swarms of these insects can ruin a picnic and be a nuisance in and around residences and outside dining establishments alike.

Are Yellowjackets Harmful to Humans?

What do yellowjackets eat- yellowjacket on a strawberry

Yellowjackets will sting humans if provoked. They will often search through garbage cans in search of food for their young or sweets for adults to eat

©Henrik Larsson/Shutterstock.com

Yellowjackets are usually friendly insects, but if provoked, they will strike with all their might. This is why swatting at or otherwise disturbing yellowjackets isn’t enccouraged.

More than one in five people have had a sting experience with a yellowjacket, says the University of Illinois. When populations are at their peak and food sources are running low, yellowjacket workers will forage in places like garbage dumps, campgrounds, restaurants, and picnic areas in search of food for the queen and her larvae. Yellowjackets can sting multiple times during a fight with humans, which can be dangerous. Yellowjackets will also attack if they feel their nest is in danger. In some cases, yellowjackets have been known to crawl into open soda cans and sting unsuspecting humans when they sip from the cans.

How is a Yellowjacket’s Diet Useful for an Ecosystem?

Yellowjackets are naturally friendly neighbors. While honeybees are social, these fascinating Hymenoptera insects don’t produce nectar. So how do they help the environment? 

It is a good idea to have a garden if you live in an area where yellowjackets are prevalent, as they are good for your crops and plants. They prey on the pests damaging your plants and aid in pollination. They feed on small, soft-bodied invertebrates, such as spiders, flies, caterpillars, and other, and then regurgitate the protein to the larvae in their cells back at the nest. A yellowjacket colony’s food gathering grounds are only about a mile away, so if you see them frequently, you’re probably not far from their colony, or nest.

Summary of What Do Yellowjackets Eat? 12 Foods in their Diet!

NumberFood
1Fruits
2Flowers
3Nectar
4Tree Sap
5Fruit Juices
6Foods rich in sugar
7Insects
8Caterpillars
9Moths
10Spiders
11Meat
12Fish

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Henrik Larsson/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

For six years, I have worked as a professional writer and editor for books, blogs, and websites, with a particular focus on animals, tech, and finance. When I'm not working, I enjoy playing video games with friends.

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