Vespula vulgaris in much of its range nests underground in the wild. It has adapted very well to living near people and often nests underground in gardens and lawns. Colonies reach extremely large sizes, with thousands or even tens of thousands of wasps in a single nest. It will also readily use crevices in buildings, where it becomes a serious problem due to its highly defensive nature and the difficulty in removing such nests. Furthermore, Vespula vulgaris is one of the most common species around garbage dumps and outdoor gatherings. This species and the closely relate Vespula germanica (German wasp) have spread even to foreign lands such as Australia and New Zealand, where they are also serious pests.