Heres some helpful information for you This information came from my Training Manuals I was a CT Cert Pest Control Tech for Terminix further information can be found on
http://terminix.com/Pest/Library/index.cfm?fuseaction=category&pestCategory=Stinging&pestID=55
Apis mellifera scutellata
Africanized Honeybee
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Characteristics
Size: About 1/2-inch in length.
Color: Golden-yellow with darker bands of brown. Some specimens appear a darker brown than others.
Behavior
Africanized honeybees (AHB) are actually a subspecies of the European honeybee, and the two look exactly the same. Only an expert making numerous microscopic measurements can tell the two apart. The difference, however, becomes readily apparent in the aggressiveness of the AHB when its colony is disturbed, lending to its nickname "killer bees." The AHB releases an alarm pheromone that calls all the workers to "battle" where they will attack and sting any moving animal or object. They will chase and sting people for hundreds of yards and have been known to sting people and pets over a whole neighborhood block. Deaths may occur due to allergic reactions from the larger number of stings received. It may take hours for the bees to settle down and return to the colony. Other honeybees will attack and sting for a few minutes and then settle down rather quickly.
Habitat
In the United States, the AHB has become established from Texas over to southern California. Colonies have also been discovered in Florida and a few other southeastern states but these have been quickly eradicated. In the wild, honeybees most often nest inside cavities of trees, but they will also nest within caves and cracks in rock formations. Occasionally, a colony will decide to nest inside a crawl space, an attic, a wall void, or a chimney in a home.
Tips for Control
Because the Africanized honeybee cannot be distinguished from its native cousins without detailed scientific measurements, any honeybee nest or swarm found in southwestern states should be respected at a safe distance. Only experienced beekeepers and/or pest management professionals should be contacted to deal with colonies or swarms of honeybees. Never attempt to treat such nests without the proper training and equipment.
Dolichovespula maculata
Bald-faced Hornet
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Characteristics
Size: About 1 inch in length.
Color: Bluish-black with white markings on its face, thorax and abdomen.
These large wasps are called bald-faced hornets, because of their white markings.
Behavior
Bald-faced hornets are not true hornets at all; they are aerial yellow jackets. This hornet constructs paper nests made from wood harvested from logs and trees. The nest of the bald-faced hornet will take on a football shape, growing larger with time. Some nests may measure up to two feet in length and contain hundreds of worker wasps. The nests last one year. Each year in the fall, a hornet nest produces numerous queens that fly out to find a protected site (e.g., under loose bark) to overwinter. The following spring, each queen finds a suitable site in a tree or shrub to begin constructing her nest. She forms a small paper nest inside in which she builds a paper "comb" and raises her first brood of larvae. The workers that emerge from that brood begin foraging for food, enlarging the nest, caring for the young and defending the colony.
Hornets will aggressively attack and sting any intruder threatening or disturbing the nest.
Habitat
Bald-faced hornets normally construct their nests on the branches of trees and shrubs. Nests may be 20 feet or higher in a tree, but more likely will be closer to the ground within 10 to 12 feet. This hornet has been known to construct its nests on the sides of homes, although it does not locate its nest inside the voids of buildings as does its close cousin, the yellow jacket.
European Hornet
Vespa crabro
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v673/LocalHerosSupply/Bees/european_hornet.jpg
Characteristics
Size: 1 to 1-1/2 inches in length.
Color: Golden brown with darker brown stripes and markings on its thorax and abdomen.
Behavior
European hornets are social wasps which form colonies that live for one year. Each spring, an overwintering queen will find a suitable nesting site and construct a small paper nest. Inside the nest, she builds a small paper comb in which she raises her first brood of larvae. After these larvae mature into adults, these worker wasps begin nest enlargement and food foraging for the colony. The paper in the nest and the comb are made from bits of wood scraped from logs, bark, and even the wood on decks and houses. Like bald-faced hornets and yellow jackets, European hornets aggressively defend their colony if it is disturbed. Loud vibrating noises, such as those from lawnmowers and leaf blowers, can "set off" the hornet workers causing them to sting people and pets. The colonies of European hornets may contain several hundred workers by the end of the season.
Habitat
Like bald-faced hornets, this hornet constructs aerial paper nests usually in trees and large shrubs. European hornets, however, will also nest inside the voids of buildings, usually in an attic or chimney. Nests may also be constructed on the sides of buildings.
Polistes spp.
Paper Wasp
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v673/LocalHerosSupply/Bees/paper_wasp.jpg
Characteristics
Size: Most species are about 1 inch in length, but a few may be as small as 1/2-inch or as large as 1-1/2 inches.
Color: Many are reddish-brown or dark red. Some species are more orange, while others have varying bright stripes of red and yellow.
Behavior
The key to identifying paper wasps is the shape of the nest -- a round, upside-down paper comb that is attached by a single stalk to a horizontal surface in a protected location. This paper nest resembles an umbrella, lending to these wasps nickname, "umbrella wasps." The colony starts out each spring as a single queen that has overwintered in a protected site, such as beneath bark, within leaf litter or inside the walls or attics of buildings. The queen finds a suitable nesting site and constructs a small comb nest in which she raises her first brood of larvae. These larvae mature into adult workers which then begin to forage for food, care for the new young, and enlarge the nest. Paper wasps are predators and feed on insects, spiders, and caterpillars. Most paper wasp colonies number only a few dozen workers, but under the right conditions, a colony might produce more than 100 workers. In early fall, the colony produces queens which fly out to find a site to overwinter.
Habitat
Most paper wasp nests are located in exposed areas beneath soffits, in the corners of windows, under awnings, under porches, and beneath decks. These wasps, however, will also nest within voids and other protected sites, such as gas grills, electric outlet boxes, hose reels, attics, and crawl spaces. They often enter attics through holes in the soffits, attic vent screens, and underneath shingles.
Vespula spp.
Yellow Jacket
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v673/LocalHerosSupply/Bees/yellowjacket.jpg
Characteristics
Size: About 1/2 -to 1-inch in length.
Color: Generally small wasps with black and yellow stripes.
Behavior
Yellow jackets are social insects that live in colonies containing thousands of individuals. Colonies are usually started by a single queen in the early spring, and are very small for the first couple of months. By midsummer, a colony located on or near a house is usually large enough to become a nuisance. These wasps will aggressively attack when their nest is disturbed, and can inflict painful stings. Unlike the honeybee, which stings only one time and then dies, a single yellow jacket can sting many times. Yellow jackets are scavengers and can be beneficial when located in a wooded area or a field. Colonies located in or near a home, however, can pose a threat to the persons living in the house. When this situation is discovered, the colony or colonies should be eliminated. Because of the danger involved in treating these nests, only a professional should treat
Yellow jackets prefer to locate their nests in the ground, usually in an old rodent burrow or similar hole. This wasp also commonly locates its nest inside the walls of a building by entering through cracks or holes in the outside walls.
