Short answer: every hornet is a wasp, but most wasps are not hornets. “Hornet wasp” isn’t a separate species. True hornets are the roughly 22 species in the genus Vespa, a small group of large, colony-building wasps. In North America only one true hornet is widely established, the European hornet (Vespa crabro). Several other insects get called hornets, the most common being the bald-faced hornet, which is actually a yellowjacket.
For non-aggressive wasps I've had great luck spraying nests with this Spectracide wasp remover in the evening. For a nest up high in an eave, soffit, or tree, this Gotcha pole adapter clamps onto the can so you can spray from the end of an extension pole and treat the nest from 10+ feet away instead of standing right under it. And for anything aggressive I wear this ridiculous-looking upper torso beekeeping suit and keep my distance. It seems silly, but trust me, I learned the hard way.
People usually search “hornet wasp” for one of two reasons. Either they want to know how hornets fit in with other wasps, or a big wasp has turned up near the house and they want to know if it’s dangerous. This guide covers both: how hornets are classified, which ones you could realistically see in the US, how to identify them, how much of a threat they are, and what to do if one is nesting on your property.
This article is general educational information. If someone has trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, dizziness, or hives spreading across the body after a sting, call 911 (or your local emergency number) immediately.
Yes. Hornets belong to the family Vespidae, the same family as yellowjackets and paper wasps. Inside that family, the subfamily Vespinae holds the social wasps that build enclosed paper nests. It has four genera:
| Genus | Common name | Found in North America? |
|---|---|---|
| Vespa | True hornets | European hornet is established; yellow-legged hornet detected in Georgia (2023) |
| Vespula | Ground-nesting yellowjackets | Yes, widespread and common |
| Dolichovespula | Aerial yellowjackets (including the bald-faced hornet) | Yes, widespread |
| Provespa | Night wasps | No (Southeast Asia only) |
So “hornet” is a specific label for one genus. Calling a hornet a wasp is like calling a robin a bird: accurate, just less specific. For a wider look at what the word “wasp” covers, see our explainer on what a wasp is.
True hornets share a few traits that set them apart from their yellowjacket cousins:
This is where most of the confusion comes from. American English uses “hornet” for nearly any large or intimidating wasp, but only a few true hornets have ever been found here.
The European hornet was introduced to the New York area in the 1800s and has since spread across much of the eastern half of the United States and into southeastern Canada. If you live east of the Great Plains and see a true hornet, this is almost certainly it.
How to identify it:
Behavior worth knowing:
Away from the nest, European hornets are generally less likely to bother people than yellowjackets. They don’t usually scavenge at picnics or trash cans. Near the nest it’s a different story: they will defend it, and a sting from an insect this size is very painful.
This is the insect most Americans picture when they hear “hornet,” and it isn’t a true hornet. The bald-faced hornet is an aerial yellowjacket. It’s black with ivory-white markings on the face and the tip of the abdomen, about ⅝ to ¾ inch long, and it builds the gray, football-shaped paper nests you see hanging from tree branches and eaves.
Of all the insects called hornets in North America, it’s arguably the most defensive. Colonies guard a wide area around the nest and will chase people who disturb it. It is found across most of the US and southern Canada. Our full bald-faced hornet guide covers its biology, and the bald-faced hornet sting guide explains what to expect if you’re stung.
You may know this species by its old names, “Asian giant hornet” or “murder hornet.” In 2022 the Entomological Society of America adopted northern giant hornet as its official common name. It’s the largest hornet in the world, with queens reaching about 2 inches.
It was first detected in northwestern Washington state in 2019. After several years of trapping and nest destruction, the USDA and Washington State Department of Agriculture declared it eradicated from the United States in December 2024. Unless you live in that region and an agency announces new detections, a giant hornet in your yard is almost certainly a native lookalike such as a cicada killer. Our murder hornet guide has the full story.
The yellow-legged hornet, called the “Asian hornet” in Europe, was first found in the United States near Savannah, Georgia, in August 2023. State and federal agencies have been tracking and destroying nests there because the species preys heavily on honey bees.
It’s about 1 inch long and noticeably dark: a mostly black-brown body with a single yellow-orange band near the tip of the abdomen and bright yellow lower legs. If you think you’ve seen one, especially in the Southeast, photograph it from a safe distance and report it to your state department of agriculture. Our Asian wasp identification guide explains how to tell it apart from native species.
Most large wasps people call hornets turn out to be something else. The usual suspects:
| Insect | How to tell it apart | Risk to people |
|---|---|---|
| European hornet | Brown-red and yellow, broad head, active at night, nests in cavities | Moderate; defends its nest |
| Bald-faced hornet | Black and white, aerial gray nest | High near the nest |
| Yellowjackets | Smaller (about ½ inch), bright black and yellow, often nest in the ground or walls | High near the nest; scavenges food |
| Cicada killer | Very large (up to 1½ inches) but solitary; digs burrows in lawns; active only by day | Very low |
| Paper wasps | Slender with long dangling legs; open, umbrella-shaped comb | Low to moderate |
| European paper wasp | Looks like a yellowjacket but slimmer, with orange antennae | Low |
If the insect is digging holes in your lawn in midsummer, it’s almost certainly a cicada killer and not a hornet. For a broader side-by-side comparison, see our guides to hornet vs wasp and wasp vs hornet vs yellow jacket. If you’re not even sure it’s a wasp, check our list of bugs that look like wasps.
Like yellowjackets, hornets build annual nests from chewed wood fiber mixed with saliva. A single fertilized queen starts the nest in spring, the colony grows through summer, and it peaks in late summer and early fall. When the weather turns cold, the colony dies off. Only newly mated queens survive, overwintering alone in sheltered spots, and the old nest is never reused.
Our hornet nest vs wasp nest guide has a detailed comparison of nest shapes, colors, and locations.
“Aggressive” isn’t quite the right word. Hornets are defensive. A hornet foraging on flowers or hunting in your garden has no interest in you and will rarely sting unless it’s grabbed, stepped on, or trapped in clothing. The risk goes up sharply within a few yards of the nest, where guard workers respond to vibration, movement, and dark colors.
Some practical patterns:
For the science behind these responses, our wasp behavior and biology guide explains how alarm pheromones and nest defense work.
A hornet sting hurts more than most people expect, but for the large majority of healthy adults it isn’t dangerous.
Basic first aid: move away from the nest area first, since more hornets may follow. Then wash the sting with soap and water, apply a cold pack wrapped in cloth for 10–20 minutes at a time, and consider an over-the-counter antihistamine or pain reliever if appropriate for you. Our wasp sting treatment guide walks through every step.
Call 911 immediately if, after any sting, the person has difficulty breathing, wheezing, swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, dizziness or fainting, or hives spreading away from the sting site. If the person has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector, use it as directed. See our guide to allergic reactions to wasp stings for the warning signs.
A hornet nest high in a tree at the edge of your property, away from doors, paths, and play areas, can often be left alone. Hornets kill a lot of garden pests, and the colony will die off on its own after the first hard frosts. The empty nest won’t be reoccupied next year.
Take action, or better, call a professional, when a nest is:
Hornet nests are harder to deal with than a small paper wasp comb under the eaves:
Never use gasoline, fire, or improvised fumigants on a hornet nest. These methods cause injuries and house fires every year. For a realistic look at your options, see our wasp nest removal safety guide, our advice on the best time to spray a wasp nest, and our guide to when to call a wasp exterminator.
A hornet is a wasp. It belongs to the wasp family Vespidae, not to any bee family. Hornets hunt other insects for protein, don’t collect pollen, and don’t make honey.
“Wasp” is the broad category and “hornet” is a specific group within it. True hornets (Vespa) are larger, heavier-bodied social wasps with broad heads and, in many species, reddish-brown coloring. Our wasp vs hornet guide breaks the differences down in detail.
One hornet sting is more painful than a typical wasp sting because of the bigger venom dose, but the medical risk is similar. What matters most is whether the person is allergic and how many stings they get. Nest location matters too: a bald-faced hornet nest by your front door is a bigger practical risk than a European hornet nest in a hollow tree at the back of the lot.
It’s very likely a European hornet. They’re one of the few wasps that fly after dark, and indoor lights draw them in through open doors, gaps in screens, or attic vents. Turn off the lights in that room, open a door or window to the outside, and leave a porch light on to draw it out. If hornets keep showing up indoors, there may be a nest in a wall void or attic, and you should have it inspected.
The workers and the old queen die off with the first hard frosts. Only newly mated queens survive, hibernating alone under bark, in leaf litter, or in sheltered crevices. Each one starts a brand-new nest in spring.
Not anymore, as far as authorities know. The northern giant hornet was declared eradicated from the United States in December 2024. A different invasive species, the yellow-legged hornet, has been detected in Georgia and is the subject of ongoing eradication work.
“Hornet wasp” describes a real relationship: hornets are a specific group of large social wasps. In most of North America, the only true hornet you’re likely to meet is the European hornet, a brown-and-yellow giant that flies at night, strips bark from shrubs, and nests in cavities. The insect most people call a hornet, the bald-faced hornet, is actually a black-and-white aerial yellowjacket, and in practice it’s often the one to be more careful around.
Neither is worth panicking over. Identify the insect from a safe distance, leave distant nests alone, and get professional help with any nest close to your home, inside a wall, or near someone with a sting allergy.
To sharpen your identification skills, start with our complete wasp identification guide, then compare the black hornet guide and the European wasp guide, which sorts out the three introduced European species found in the US.