Are there yellow jackets in Arizona?

The Paper Wasp that we find most commonly around our homes. These guys will sting if provoked but seem to be more at ease than its cousin the yellow jacket. They start to build their nests in the springtime and their colony consists of one dominant female and several worker females. read more

They definitely exist here. I can't speak to which varieties are native to the area, but I've had a large number of at least two different varieties always seeming to be attracted to my pool. read more

Unknowing drinkers can find an agitated yellow jacket in their mouth. This can become serious if an allergic individual is stung in the mouth or throat. Yellow jackets also gather around uncovered trash receptacles where they can freely gather food. The western yellow jacket usually nests in the ground using an abandoned burrow, but can occasionally nest in crawlspaces or wall voids. read more

The Yellow Jacket is not very common in the Verde Valley area. Over the years I have only seen a half a dozen nests. The one thing I will say is they are about as aggressive as the Africanized Honey Bee. read more