PAPER WASP

INTRODUCTION: Paper wasps get their common name from the paperlike material of which they construct their nest. It has been suggested that they be called “umbrella wasps” because their nests have the shape of an inverted umbrella.

RECOGNITION: Adults about 5/8-3/4” long. Color is brownish with yellow markings, a few species with reddish markings.

HABITS: Paper wasps hang their comb nest from porch ceilings, the top member of window and door frames, soffets, eaves, attic rafters, deck floor joists and railings, ect., almost any protected place imaginable.

BIOLOGY: Paper wasps are semi-social, existing in small colonies, containing up to about 150-250 cells. Nests consist of a single layer of paperlike comb with the cells opening downward. The comb is never enclosed by an envelope, but remains naked.