However, yellow jackets are actually beneficial ... “These are social wasps that form communal nests, usually in holes in the ground that they aggressively defend if you get too close ...

Yellow jackets (which include bald-faced hornets ... Wasps commonly nest on buildings or in retaining walls, trees, and the ground. When wasp nests are found close to where people are active ...

They build nests in the ground, logs or building walls or attics ... German wasps (Vespula germanica) are very similar in appearance to the yellow-jacket, though very slightly bigger.