Wasps

Paper wasps are the most common species of wasp found in or around Texas homes. Adult paper wasps have a pinched waist and six long, thin legs “dangle” below their body as they fly. Their bodies are black or brown with yellow and/or orange markings. Their wings are gray. They are a fairly large species with adults growing to between 1/2 and 1 inch in length. These wasps build umbrella-shaped nests with visible hexagonal cells. They create their nests from paper-like material and will often attach them to branches, window frames, playground equipment, or awnings.

Yellow Jackets

Yellow jackets are an aggressive species of social found in North Texas. This stinging insect will do anything to protect its home. They earned their name from their distinct black and yellow color. Yellow jackets have a waist that is extremely thin and defined; their elongated wings fold laterally on their body when they are at rest.

Adult workers grow to be between 3/8th and 5/8th of an inch in length. Their body is hairless and has a yellow and black banded pattern on it. 

Typically, the Texas yellow jacket builds its nest in the ground or in an enclosed hollow area such as a crawl space or a roof soffit. Their nests can get quite large if left alone. Like most wasps in Texas, they will not disturb people unless they feel that their nest is threatened. If threatened, they become aggressive and are able to inflict multiple stings. 

Cricket Hunters

These solitary wasps are uncommon in North Texas, but can emerge in the home through gaps in the foundation. They paralyze and capture live crickets, females lay a single egg on the cricket, and then, when hatched, the larvae will eat the cricket. Cricket hunters are ½ to 1 inch long and entirely black in color. They build their nests in hollow areas and emerge in homes through small cracks or openings. If seem indoors, they may be indicative of a larger problem. Furthermore, if provoked, they will sting humans. 

Cicada Killers

These are among the largest species of wasp found in North Texas often reaching lengths of 1 ½ inches long. They have a dark red head and a black and yellow striped abdomen. Primarily, they sting, paralyze, and kill cicadas to feed to their larvae. Though these wasps can be aggressive towards humans if provoked, they are a solitary species that rarely sting people. However, they can become a nuisance if present in or around a home.  

Mud Daubers

These solitary wasps can reach up to 1 inch in length and are much more slender than other species of wasps found in Northern Texas; particularly, they have a thin waist located between the thorax and the abdomen. They range in color from black with yellow stripes to an iridescent blue. Their thin bodies help them navigate their tubular-mud nests. If they make it indoors, they will build their homes underneath overhangs or under eaves. These wasps can sting, but they will not attack unless provoked.