Insect identifier · Ants, bees, and wasps
How to identify a Black and yellow mud dauber
Sceliphron caementarium
· Also called mud wasp, dirt dauber, mud dauber wasp
People searching “what does a black and yellow mud dauber look like” or “black and yellow mud dauber bite” want a field ID, not a scare. Black and yellow mud dauber (Sceliphron caementarium) is a ants bees wasps in this guide. Also called mud wasp, dirt dauber, mud dauber wasp.
Organ-pipe mud on a shed ceiling is a mud dauber, not a hornet nest.
What does a black and yellow mud dauber look like?
Black and yellow mud dauber is Slender, about 20–25 mm. Colors people notice: black, yellow. Field marks: Very thin waist; Mud tube nests; Yellow markings on a black body.
Black and yellow mud dauber is Slender, about 20–25 mm. Colors people notice: black, yellow. Field marks: Very thin waist; Mud tube nests; Yellow markings on a black body. If the marks fail, open the look-alike pages before forcing this name.
Identification marks
- Very thin waist
- Mud tube nests
- Yellow markings on a black body
Size: Slender, about 20–25 mm
Colors: black, yellow
Where: both
What a typical black and yellow mud dauber bite looks like
Sting only if grabbed. Not a picnic wasp. Leave the tubes if they are not over a door Scrape old tubes in winter
Sting only if grabbed. Not a picnic wasp. Fever, spreading redness, or trouble breathing needs a clinician.
If you were bitten
- Leave the tubes if they are not over a door
- Scrape old tubes in winter
- Ice a rare sting
Black and yellow mud dauber vs Northern paper wasp
Thread waist and mud tubes = mud dauber. Lawn hole and soda can = yellowjacket.
- Northern paper wasp identification (Polistes fuscatus)
- Eastern yellowjacket identification (Vespula maculifrons)
- European hornet identification (Vespa crabro)
Range and season
Black and yellow mud dauber is active summer. Typical places: eaves, shed, yard. Solitary wasp that builds mud tubes and stocks them with spiders. Not aggressive at picnics.
Eaves, sheds, and porch ceilings across North America.
Solitary wasp that builds mud tubes and stocks them with spiders. Not aggressive at picnics.
Summer
Common questions
Are mud daubers aggressive?
No. They are solitary and rarely sting unless handled.
Mud dauber vs yellowjacket?
Mud daubers have a thread waist and mud tubes. Yellowjackets are stockier and use a hole or a paper nest.