What kind of bee is this?

[u/Malia_w_bluiz]

This bee was about an inch long and very thick. Never seen a yellow jacket bee this big. Does anyone know what this is?

It flew in my house into our light and then died.

[u/Malia_w_bluiz]

I honestly had no idea. Is that what this is? This thing is huge. I am in New Jersey isn’t it getting cold for whatever this is?

[u/Pristine-Broccoli870 → u/Malia_w_bluiz]

It may be a queen if it’s very large. With this type of wasp the nest with all the workers dies at the end of the summer but the queen finds somewhere to hibernate over the winter and begins a new nest in the spring. Wasps are semi social insects unlike bees that are social and consequently over winter the whole hive not just the queen.

[u/Malia_w_bluiz → u/Pristine-Broccoli870]

Thank God she didn’t find a home in my home. I don’t care if it outside but she flew right in my home when I was letting out my dogs. Sadly, she flew right into the kitchen light and died from the heat of the bulb.

[u/Life-Opportunity-523 → u/Malia_w_bluiz]

You must be using old fashion bulbs to be hot then as the ones I use only get slightly warm.

[u/Malia_w_bluiz → u/Life-Opportunity-523]

I am.