Paper Wasps

• A paper wasp infestation is usually pretty easy to see. Paper wasps are active from spring through fall and can be easily seen on and around structures.
• Paper wasps build their distinctive, umbrella-shaped nests under any protected horizontal surface including branches, ceilings, window and door frames, roof overhangs, eaves, rafters, beams, decks, joists, or railings.
• Paper wasps make their nests by scraping and chewing wood fiber into a pasty pulp which they then form into a single paper-like comb of hexagonal cells. The nest is attached to the surface by a single stalk.
• Paper wasp nests are small and generally have 1-2 dozen individual wasps.

• Paper wasps are slender, narrow-waisted wasps with long, gangly legs that dangle beneath their bodies when they fly.
• They are 5/8” - ¾” in length (queens are a little larger).
• Body coloration varies with species; however, paper wasps are generally black or brown with yellow markings on the head, thorax, and bands on the abdomen.
• Paper wasps have a smooth body with few hairs.
• Unlike many other wasps, paper wasps fold their 4 wings up longitudinally when not flying.

Yes! Like other wasps, paper wasps will aggressively defend their nests. Paper wasps can sting more than once and will try to do so.

• Paper wasps capture caterpillars, flies and crickets, and other insects and spiders which they feed to their larvae.
• Adults paper wasps feed on sugar such as the juices of fruits and honeydew (a sugary substance secreted by certain insects) and the nectar of flowers.
• Workers from the colony actively forage during the day and rest at night.

• It is best to ignore a paper wasp nest that is located away from high traffic areas.
• If the nest is located near a doorway or along a walkway, spray it directly with an aerosol insecticide labeled for wasp and hornet control. Use a quick knock-down product with ingredients such as tetramethrin or prallethrin that can spray 20’ or more.
• Paper wasp nests also can be dislodged from eaves using a high-pressure water spray.
• DO NOT attempt to kill a nest yourself if you are allergic to bee stings. Paper wasps will aggressively defend their nests. Take precautions to minimize wasps attacking nearby people and pets.
• Wear protective clothing (long sleeved shirt and long pants), shoes, socks, and a hat at a minimum. Tie sleeves and pants legs shut or pull your socks over your pant cuffs.
• Treat in the late evening or early morning when all the wasps are in the nest.
• Do NOT stand directly under the nest you are treating.
• Do NOT spray from a ladder.
• Repeat the treatment if the paper wasps are still flying back and forth to the nest the next day.

TIP #1: Keep paper wasps from nesting in attic areas or other voids by screening any openings or vents. TIP #2: A fresh coat of paint or varnish will make it difficult for the wasps to attach their nests to the slick surface.

• Paper wasps have a complete life cycle: egg, larval, pupal, and adult.
• Paper wasps are social insects and their colonies contain three castes: queens, workers, and males. A fully matured paper wasp nest may have 20 to 30 adults.
• In the spring, several queens select a nesting site and begin to build a nest. Eventually, one of the queens emerges as the dominant, making the others serve as workers in the new colony.
• The queen deposits eggs singly in the cells on the underside of the nest.
• After the eggs hatch, the grub-like larvae develop through several stages (instars). The larvae mostly feed on other insects, such as caterpillars, that the sterile worker wasps collect.
• Cells remain open until the mature larvae pupate inside a capped cell.
• In late summer, the queen stops laying eggs and the colony begins to wane.
• New queens and males are produced in late summer or early fall.
• After mating, the new fertilized queens seek overwintering sites in protected places such as in the cracks and crevices of structures or under the bark of trees.
• The remainder of the colony does not survive freezing temperatures (usually in the mid 20°s F).