This wasp also has three white stripes at the end of its body and is notably larger than other species of Dolichovespula, as adults average about 19 mm (0.75 in) in length.

Nests are layered hexagonal combs covered by a mottled gray paper envelope.

Bald-faced hornets create this paper envelope by collecting and chewing naturally occurring fibers.

Nests are generally located in trees and bushes, but occasionally are found under rock overhangs or the sides of buildings.

[5] Bald-faced hornets are omnivorous, and considered to be beneficial due to their predation of flies, caterpillars, and spiders.

They vigorously defend the nest, with workers stinging repeatedly, as is common among social bees and wasps.

The bald-faced hornet has a unique defense in that it can squirt or spray venom from the stinger into the eyes of vertebrate nest intruders.

New nests are generally founded during spring and early summer by a single queen, though temporal specifics vary depending on location.

On October 28, 2022, an active colony was encountered on the Middle Fork Willamette River in western Oregon.

Newly emerged males and queens are no more functional than pupae; both depend heavily on solid prey brought in by workers, thus competing with larvae for food resources.

Dolichovespula is unique from its sister group Vespula in that some of the workers create haploid offspring that develop into males.

[7] Cuticular hydrocarbons serve as a barrier to moisture diffusion, so prevent dehydration in wasps.

Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles vary over species and nests, and they are a proposed mechanism for nest-mate recognition.

[8] The following lipid profiles were determined from specimens collected in the summer and early fall of northeastern Georgia in 1989.

The dominant hydrocarbons recovered from the cuticles of workers were n-alkanes and methyl- and dimethyl-branched alkanes with a C27 or a C29 backbone.

The physical nature of cues mediating natal comb recognition is unknown, though some researchers propose that distinct cuticular hydrocarbon profiles allow wasps to recognize nestmates.

Divergent genetic interests between workers and their queen cause intranest struggle for control, which disrupts social organization.

The percentage of males that were workers' sons did not correlate with the time during which nests were collected or colony size.

Diet in D. maculata varies depending on an individual's life cycle stage and geographic location.

[10] Female bee moths (Aphomia sociella) have been known to lay their eggs in bald-faced hornet nests.

A queen selects a location for her nest, begins building it, lays a first batch of eggs, and feeds this first group of larvae.

The workers guard the nest and feed on nectar, tree sap and fruit pulp (particularly that of apples).