This flying, stinging insect can either be considered a pest to be eliminated or a beneficial insect that is to be encouraged. With their primary food source being caterpillars that damage crops, ornamentals or gardens the paper wasp can be helpful in eliminating other pests. However, this wasp that stings prefers to build its nest under eaves, porches, piers, in open barns or other areas that put them in close contact to man.
| Wasp Elimination | Yellowjackets | Hornets |
Belonging to the Family Vespidae, the paper wasp does have some of the same characteristics of Yellowjackets and Hornets. Nests are developed by female wasps who use a unique blend of saliva and wood to form single layer nest containing individual cells. An egg is laid in each cell. Larvae hatch from these cells and are fed by worker wasps. The size (diameter) of a wasp nest can vary from one inch to 18 inches or more. Size of the paper nest will depend on length of warm season, supply of caterpillars used as food for larvae, temperatures and other such factors.
More on paper wasps can be found in the Vespidae article.
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Wasp, hornet or yellowjacket elimination should always be done at dusk or dark. As it begins to get dark, these stinging pests are generally at rest. During this period you will get a better kill, since the wasps are not foraging for food; they are all on their nest. Being at rest, there is far less chance of getting stung.
During warm weather, wasp nests can appear at any time. Simply killing existing colonies leaves the area open for another nest to appear close by. These steps should be taken in wasp elimination:
