Active Seasons
Appearance and Size Facts
- Reddish-orange to dark brown or black in color
- Yellowish markings on the abdomen
- Long and slender with a narrow waist
- Size: Range from 3/4 to 1-inch in length
- Social insects, live in colonies containing workers, queens, and males.
- Nest is round, upside-down paper comb that is attached by a single stalk to a horizontal surface.
Behavior and Habitat of Paper Wasps
Paper wasps are social insects, living in colonies containing workers, queens, and males. Queens emerge during April or May, select a nest site, and build a small paper nest in which the eggs are laid. Adults feed on nectar or other sugary solutions, and bits of caterpillars or flies that are caught and partially chewed to be fed to their young.
A Paper wasp nest is a round, upside-down paper comb that is attached by a single stalk to a horizontal surface. This paper nest resembles an umbrella, hence this wasp’s nickname: “umbrella wasp”.
Paper wasps will build their nests under awnings, beneath decks, under porches, in the corners of windows, and beneath soffits. They will also sometimes nest in attics, gas grills, hose reels, and electric outlet boxes.
Signs of Infestation of Paper Wasps
The workers and the nest are the most likely signs
Tips for Prevention of Paper Wasps
Sweep and remove papernests regualrly
Paper Wasp Gallery
