Paper wasps are 3/4 to 1 inch long, are reddish -brown
with a yellow circle, and have longer legs and slenderer bodies than
yellow jackets and hornets. Their abdomen taper at both ends. Paper wasps
are sometimes called "umbrella wasps" because their nests consist of a
single exposed comb suspended by a narrow stalk. There are 22 species of
paper wasps in North America and approximately 700 species world-wide.
Adults forage for nectar, their source of energy, and
for caterpillars to feed the larvae (young). They are natural enemies of
many garden insect pests, so are considered to be beneficial insects.
Paper wasps build clusters of hexagonal paper cells.
Mixing masticated (chewed) wood pulp with adhesive saliva, these paper
nest cells act as larval nesting chambers for the young wasps. (The
Chinese inventor of paper was legend to have been inspired by observing
these wasps chewing bark.) Other wasps of the Vespid family, are potters,
building their nests from mud and saliva. Similar to other social wasps,
paper wasps abandon their nests in the autumn, with the mated queens overwintering.
A queen killed in the fall or early spring will eliminate an entire nest
during the summer.
Paper wasps may be more inclined to build nests in attics
than yellow jackets or hornets because their nests lack an outer covering.
They will build a nest anywhere in the Central Valley during the dry months.
They can usually be found in outdoor rest rooms, dense bushy habitats,
and even on fences.
Larvae are at all stages of development
in an active wasp nest.
Above, you can see larva
that have not yet covered their individual cells.
Below, a juvenile wasp peeks
out from his cell cap and then emerges.
TREATMENT AND CONTROL
Paper wasps are considered beneficial insects due to
their predation on non-beneficial garden pests. Unfortunately, wasps will
defend their nest if disturbed and sting repeatedly. After being stung,
apply a poultice of a meat tenderizer to the wound. If the sting is not
deep, this will break down the components of the sting fluid, reducing
pain. If you experience difficultly in breathing
after being stung, you are having an allergic reation and should seek emergency
medical treatment immediately.
Individual paper wasps and their nests can be sprayed
with an aerosol insecticide (or even hairspray or a cleaning fluid). It
is best to knock down the nest if possible after spraying all the wasps
on it. Do not position yourself below the nest after spraying it, the wasps
will fall and sting you. After spraying the nest stand to one side, after
all have fallen, step on them.
images - I. Lindsey
Web links for more information
on paper wasps:
Other types of Vespid wasps:
Jackets (meat bees)
to insects next