Paper Wasp — Identification & Nest Treatment

• Body — slender, elongated, 15-25 mm; brown to reddish-brown with yellow bands.
• Legs — long and dangling below the body in flight (this is the fastest field ID).
• Wings — held folded lengthwise along the body at rest.
• Nests — open umbrella-shaped combs of visible hexagonal cells, attached by a single stalk to eaves, ceilings, deck undersides, mailboxes, or exposed protected surfaces.
• Nest size — most Triangle paper wasp nests hold 10-50 individuals; occasionally more.

Paper wasp nests are visually distinct from yellow jacket aerial nests (enclosed grey paper football) and from mud dauber nests (mud tubes stuck to walls).

Paper wasps are less defensive than yellow jackets or hornets, but they will attack if their nest is touched, sprayed with an ineffective product, or approached during hot weather when the colony is stressed. Stings can occur when a homeowner does not realize a nest is present — reaching to grab a grill cover, opening a rarely-used shed door, or reaching into a mailbox that hasn't been used in a week.

Colonies are founded in spring by an overwintering fertilized queen who builds the first few cells alone. Workers add through summer, peaking in August. Like yellow jackets, colonies die at first hard frost with only new mated queens surviving to overwinter.

Paper wasp stings are painful but for most adults are limited to local swelling and discomfort. The exceptions match other stinging insects:

• Anyone with a known bee/wasp allergy — one sting can trigger anaphylaxis. Carry an EpiPen and treat nests as an emergency.
• Multiple stings — possible when a nest is directly disturbed, though less likely than with yellow jackets.
• Children and small pets — smaller body mass, more severe reactions.
• Stings on the face, in the mouth, or near the eye — always warrant medical evaluation.

Difficulty breathing, swelling beyond the sting site, dizziness, or a widespread rash after a sting is a 911 call.

Paper wasps love protected overhangs. On Triangle homes we routinely find nests in:

• Front porch and back deck ceilings.
• Underside of window shutters.
• Playhouse and swing-set roofs.
• Grill covers left down overnight.
• Mailboxes — inside and under the flag mechanism.
• Attic vents and gable openings.
• Underside of patio umbrellas.
• Inside less-used sheds and outbuildings.
• Under deck railings and inside deck baluster spaces.

Any protected, dry, shaded surface within a few feet of a landing point is potential paper-wasp real estate.

Castle Exterminators treats wasp, hornet and yellow jacket nests, including ground nests and wall-void nests. We treat nests; we do not offer physical nest treatment.

• We confirm the species and locate the nest and its entrance.
• The nest is treated with EPA-registered products applied according to label directions.
• We explain how activity should decline and when to call us back.

Same-day service may be available, depending on the schedule and your location. See wasp, hornet and yellow jacket treatment.

• Do a spring perimeter walk in April/May to find early nests before they grow — small nests are much easier to remove.
• Inspect grill covers, mailboxes, and shed interiors regularly.
• Trim overgrown shrubs away from eaves and porch ceilings.
• Repair torn attic vent screens.
• Consider a preventive perimeter service if your home has many eaves, porches, or outbuildings.
• Do not spray a nest with a garden-hose insecticide during daylight — the range is too short and workers will attack.
• Anyone with a known wasp allergy should carry an EpiPen year-round.