German Yellowjacket
Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793)
German Yellowjacket in all of Ohio
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Family
- Vespidae
- Genus
- Vespula
Introduced and invasive status
Introduced in Ohio: iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Also listed
- Introduced and assessed as invasive in the lower 48 states
iNaturalist's volunteer curators list it as introduced in their Ohio checklist.
US-RIIS assesses a species as invasive when it causes, or is likely to cause, harm there, or is at least locally abundant and harmful ecologically, economically, or to health.
Status: Simpson A, Sellers E, Pagad S (2023). United States Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (US-RIIS), ver. 2.0. U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KFFTOD (opens in a new tab)
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (32)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (51)
- Recorded, season not shown (5)
- Season shown (0)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | No qualifying records yet |
| Allen County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashtabula County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Athens County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Auglaize County | No qualifying records yet |
| Belmont County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Brown County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Butler County | 22 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Carroll County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Champaign County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clark County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Clermont County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clinton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Columbiana County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Coshocton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Crawford County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Cuyahoga County | 42 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Darke County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Defiance County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Delaware County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Erie County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fairfield County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fayette County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Franklin County | 43 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Fulton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Gallia County | No qualifying records yet |
| Geauga County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Greene County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Guernsey County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hamilton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hancock County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hardin County | No qualifying records yet |
| Harrison County | No qualifying records yet |
| Henry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Highland County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hocking County | No qualifying records yet |
| Holmes County | No qualifying records yet |
| Huron County | No qualifying records yet |
| Jackson County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Jefferson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Knox County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lake County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lawrence County | No qualifying records yet |
| Licking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Logan County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lorain County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lucas County | 32 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Madison County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Mahoning County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Marion County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Medina County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet |
| Mercer County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Miami County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Monroe County | No qualifying records yet |
| Montgomery County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Morgan County | No qualifying records yet |
| Morrow County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Muskingum County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Noble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Paulding County | No qualifying records yet |
| Perry County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pickaway County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pike County | No qualifying records yet |
| Portage County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Preble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet |
| Richland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ross County | No qualifying records yet |
| Sandusky County | No qualifying records yet |
| Scioto County | No qualifying records yet |
| Seneca County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Shelby County | No qualifying records yet |
| Stark County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Summit County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Trumbull County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Tuscarawas County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Union County | No qualifying records yet |
| Van Wert County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Warren County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Washington County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wayne County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Williams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wood County | 24 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Wyandot County | No qualifying records yet |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Lucas County
Not enough evidence
Records per week from 32 records in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of German Yellowjacket | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 168 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 125 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 85 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 81 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 101 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 137 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 150 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 202 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 278 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 355 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 421 |
| Apr 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 788 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 700 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 0 | 0 | 1,295 |
| May 3–9 | 1 | 1 | 2,514 |
| May 10–16 | 0 | 0 | 5,269 |
| May 17–23 | 1 | 1 | 4,884 |
| May 24–30 | 0 | 0 | 1,850 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 0 | 0 | 1,817 |
| Jun 7–13 | 0 | 0 | 1,677 |
| Jun 14–20 | 0 | 0 | 1,553 |
| Jun 21–27 | 0 | 0 | 1,586 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 0 | 0 | 1,749 |
| Jul 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 1,976 |
| Jul 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 2,118 |
| Jul 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 2,090 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 0 | 0 | 1,646 |
| Aug 2–8 | 1 | 1 | 1,938 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 1,606 |
| Aug 16–22 | 2 | 1 | 1,660 |
| Aug 23–29 | 0 | 0 | 1,644 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 2 | 2 | 1,585 |
| Sep 6–12 | 1 | 1 | 1,913 |
| Sep 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 1,724 |
| Sep 20–26 | 2 | 1 | 2,839 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 2 | 2 | 2,478 |
| Oct 4–10 | 9 | 4 | 2,869 |
| Oct 11–17 | 3 | 1 | 1,470 |
| Oct 18–24 | 3 | 2 | 598 |
| Oct 25–31 | 2 | 1 | 496 |
| Nov 1–7 | 1 | 1 | 365 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 264 |
| Nov 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 168 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 160 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 127 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 133 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 113 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 152 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 170 |
Reported as an adult
No records here are marked as adults yet, so there is no adult season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
Reported as a larva
No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
In Ohio
Mid-April to mid-November, middle week Sep 20–26
Records per week from 533 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 404 dates. Latest record: December 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of German Yellowjacket | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 1 | 1 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 1 | 1 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 2 | 2 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 2 | 2 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 1 | 1 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 6 | 4 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 3 | 2 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 5 | 2 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 8 | 4 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 7 | 4 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 15 | 3 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 14 | 4 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 11 | 6 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 10 | 5 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 4 | 3 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 1 | 1 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 2 | 2 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 0 | 0 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 1 | 1 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 3 | 2 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 4 | 2 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 7 | 4 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 5 | 4 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 14 | 6 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 14 | 4 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 19 | 6 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 9 | 5 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 24 | 6 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 36 | 8 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 37 | 7 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 30 | 8 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 37 | 8 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 35 | 7 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 35 | 9 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 24 | 6 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 25 | 7 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 21 | 7 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 17 | 7 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 17 | 4 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 7 | 4 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 6 | 5 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 1 | 1 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 3 | 2 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 3 | 2 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 5 | 2 | 8,459 |
Reported as an adult
Usually reported as an adult late April to mid-October, middle week early September. A later season is not shown: only 12 records, too few.
Reported as a larva
No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Relatives
In the same genus
Other Vespula recorded in Lucas County
Identification
How to identify it
Often confused with
- Eastern Yellowjacket Vespula maculifronsOften confused in Ohio: 80 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Common Aerial Yellowjacket Dolichovespula arenaria197 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula187 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Downy Yellowjacket Vespula flavopilosa140 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- European Hornet Vespa crabro96 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
When each is reported
- All recordsUsually mid-April to mid-November, middle week mid-September · 533 records
- Reported as femaleUsually mid-May to early November, middle week mid-September · 51 records
Not every photo is marked with a sex or a sign, so these show when people reported each, not when it happens.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 89%49% |
| Farmland | 9%11% |
| Forest | 3%31% |
From 330 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Ohio result
533 records from 2 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 528 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 5 recordsiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.