What kind of wasps are in the Lowcountry and how can you avoid stings? Here's what to know about these pesky summer insects.

Yellow jackets, bald-faced hornets and paper wasps are able to sting multiple times unlike European honeybees, and are most aggressive when defending their nests.

Up under house eaves, in wood sheds, under car ports, we sometimes see the nests of paper wasps (genus Polistes). These nests are made of chewed-up wood fibers, i.e., paper.

The hornets can often be mistaken for other insects like yellow jackets, however, European hornets are larger by comparison and primarily yellow, black and red. It is not out of the ordinary to ...

By mid- to late-summer and fall, yellow jacket populations are at their height. “As their number build up, they gorge ...

The yellow-traps and lures which work well for yellowjackets will not work for European paper wasps, hornets or other bees. Leave all nests alone unless they are close to your outdoor activities ...

European paper wasps fall into this category and are responsible for umbrella-shaped nests beneath deck railings, under grill covers, behind shutters and in wood piles.