• Wasps are part of the order Hymenoptera.Wespenkopf image by joor from Fotolia.com
  
  The best way to identify a wasp is by their behavior and the style of their nest since, so many wasps have yellow and black markings and are often confused for yellow jackets. Yellow jacket, paper wasp and hornet nests are constructed out of chewed wood and vegetation, however, each has a distinct style of architecture. Wasps do not make honey like bees do; in fact, some wasps are carnivorous and not even interested in pollen. There are hundreds of species among the wasp families, according to the Bug Guide, however, the most commonly spotted Georgia wasps are from the Vespidae family.
  
  

Yellow Jackets

• The scientific name of a yellow jacket is Vespula maculifrons.Gefr?¡è??ige Wespe image by Ralf H??bner from Fotolia.com
  
  Identifiable by their yellow and black fuzzy-ringed abdomens, yellow jackets are so common in Georgia that they are the mascot of Georgia Institute of Technology. According to Encyclopedia Britanica, there are 35 to 40 species of yellow jackets. The most aggressive variety of wasp, large groups of worker yellow jackets will attack if their often underground nests are disturbed. According to AgriLife Extention, foraging yellow jackets are often seen at picnics since the wasps consume protein sources such as live insects and garbage material.
  
  

Cicada Killers

• The scientific name of a cicada (pictured above) killer is Sphecius speciosus.la mue image by Panoramix from Fotolia.com
  
  Cicada killers can be up to 2 inches long, have large brown wings and are mostly black or red with yellow markings. They resemble large yellow jackets with their seemingly-aggressive flying style, however, these wasps are relatively harmless. Also known as "lawn wasps," these wasps are so named for their life-source, the cicada. Adult wasps hunt cicada to use as an incubator and primary food source for their larvae. The cicada are dragged back to the wasp's nest in a underground sandy location.
  
  

Paper Wasps

• The scientific name of a paper wasp is Polistes sp.Wasp nest image by polyman from Fotolia.com
  
  This is another of the most common Southern wasps encountered in Georgia, according to Rid-A-Critter Nuisance Animal and Pest Control. Paper wasps are most identifiable by their nests; small distinctly paper-like honeycomb cells that remain uncovered. Less territorial than yellow jackets, paper wasps will allow passersby near their nests without conflict.
  
  According to Forest Pests, Guinea wasps are the most commonly encountered paper wasp and often confused with yellow jackets because of their yellow and black markings. Red wasps are another common Georgia paper wasp, identifiable by their rose-red bodies. According to Urban Wildlife Control, hornets are related to paper wasps.
  
  

Baldfaced Hornets

• The scientific name of a baldfaced hornet is Dolichovespula maculata.dead stinger in profile image by Stacy Taylor from Fotolia.com
  
  Also known as Baldfaced Hornets, these wasps are mostly black with white markings on their heads and tails. They return to pear-shaped enclosed nests made of grey-brown paper material and usually hanging from trees or other structures. According to Agrilife Extention, these nests can be as long as 3 feet and house 200 to 400 wasps. Baldfaced larvae are fed fruit sugars and proteins from other insects. These hornets are known to pursue a target for a lengthy period of time.
  
  

European Hornets

• The scientific name of a European hornet is Vespa crabro.HORNISSE image by aalfang from Fotolia.com
  
  Commonly referred to as "gentle giants," these bright red, yellow and black insects journeyed to North America as stowaways in ships from Europe during the mid-1800s. Nests are preferably built in hollow spaces such as tree cavities or chimneys. According to Georgia Bee Removal, European hornets eat spiders, flies and even other wasps. Colonies of baldfaced and European hornets only last for one season.