ArticlePDF Available

The European Paper Wasp

January 2014

Authors:

Todd Murray

Washington State University

Content uploaded by Todd Murray

Content may be subject to copyright.

The European Paper Wasp

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION FACT SHEET • FS152E

Introduction

As a newcomer to our home landscapes in the Pacic

Northwest (PNW), the European paper wasp, Polistes

dominula, has a reputation as both a benecial predator

and a pest. The European paper wasp is a relatively tame

wasp that forages within landscape plants in search of

leaf-feeding caterpillars and other insect prey. However, it

is also a nuisance pest that will sting people who accidently

disturb or threaten it or its nest. The purpose of this

publication is to provide homeowners with images that

will help them recognize the paper wasp and distinguish it

from the more aggressive yellowjacket wasps found in the

PNW. This publication also offers seasonal scouting tips

and management strategies for living with paper wasps in

the home landscape.

The Positive and Negative Effects of Paper

Wasps

Paper wasps are members of the insect family Vespidae

(Figure 1A, B), which includes yellowjacket wasps and

hornets. Most insects in this family are considered eusocial

wasps, meaning insects that live in communities of fertile

queens and infertile workers. Adult wasps gather wood

bers from tree bark and plant stems to construct nests

that are gray or brown in color and have a papery texture

(hence the name ‘paper wasp’). Sometimes these nests are

hidden underneath, or within, man-made structures like

house eaves, fence rails, porch furniture, birdhouses, win-

dowsills, and light xtures.

Paper wasps are benecial predators because they prey

on other insects, particularly caterpillars, as well as other

insects that feed on plants. Homeowners are likely to

encounter paper wasp adults searching for insect prey in

amongst garden plants, landscape trees, shrubs, and owers

around the home. European paper wasps are active early

in the growing season and may forage for prey as early as

March. When a paper wasp locates prey, the adult wasp

captures it and brings it back to the nest, where it feeds the

thoroughly chewed-up insects to the wasp larvae. It is this

predatory behavior that makes paper wasps a valuable spe-

cies for conservation in the home landscape.

This fact sheet is part of the WSU Extension Home Garden Series.

Figure 1. Two common paper wasps of the PNW are the European paper wasp (A), Polistes dominula, and the golden

paper wasp (B), Polistes aurifer. Both species measure approximately 5/8-inch long, but they have different yellow

markings on the thorax and abdomen.

A B

European paper wasps (Figure 1A) can damage ripening

or over ripened fruits, such as apples, cherries, and grapes.

As the name implies, this species is not native to the PNW

and may displace native wasp species like the golden paper

wasp, Polistes aurifer (Figure 1B). Because the European

paper wasp is well established throughout the PNW, efforts

to eradicate this exotic wasp have not been attempted.

Distinguishing Paper Wasps from

Yellowjacket Wasps

In the PNW, paper wasps and yellowjacket wasps are

common and are frequently mistaken for one another

(Figure2). They share the traditional coloration of yellow

and black stripes that warns potential predators that they

can sting. Paper wasps are approximately 5/8 of an inch

long and tend to be slightly longer than yellowjackets.

Paper wasps also have more slender bodies compared to

the yellowjacket wasp, with longer hind legs, which extend

behind its body (Figure 2A). When examined closely, paper

wasps reveal an orange-colored antennae (Figure1A).

Yellowjackets are smaller (approximately ½-inch long),

more compact, and possess mostly black antennae

(Figure 2B). Like paper wasps, yellowjackets will feed on

a range of insects, including caterpillars, ies, aphids,

and mosquitoes, and thus can be considered benecial

predators.

There are some compelling reasons for distinguishing

between paper wasps and yellowjacket wasps. Both wasps

are benecial predators that prey on other insects, but yel-

lowjackets tend to be far more aggressive towards humans

and will mass attack intruders that threaten the nest. In

these situations, yellowjackets become more than just a

nuisance—they become a serious threat to human safety.

Yellowjackets are also aggressive scavengers that will feed

on insect carcasses, sweet substances, and protein sources,

thus becoming nuisance pests at picnic tables, garbage

areas, and on ripening berry and tree fruits. While paper

wasps may scavenge on a small scale, nearly all complaints

of troublesome wasps can be traced back to yellowjackets.

For this reason, homeowners may opt to control or prevent

yellowjackets from establishing nests in the home land-

scape.

Perhaps the easiest way to distinguish between paper wasps

and yellowjackets is by the construction of their nests

(Figure 3). Paper wasp nests consist of a single exposed

comb made up of multiple hexagonal cells suspended

by a narrow stalk attached to man-made structures like

house eaves, porch ceilings, wooden fences, and the like

Figure 2. A visual comparison of an adult paper wasp (A) and an adult yellowjacket wasp (B). Body

length of the paper wasp is approximately 5/8-inch long, while the body length of the yellowjacket wasp

is approximately 1/2-inch long.

A B

Figure 3. A visual comparison of aerial nests constructed by the European paper wasp (A) and the yellowjacket wasp (B).

(Photo (B) courtesy of B. York, York's Exterminating.)

A B

(Figure3A). Sometimes these nests are hidden or tucked

inside man-made structures, such as light sockets, window

vents, outdoor furniture, mailboxes, and under softs. These

nests are often occupied by multiple paper wasps and may

number in the dozens or hundreds late in the summer.

Individual paper wasps defend the nest from intruders,

including humans, who come too close to the nest or

inadvertently make contact with it. Yellowjackets construct

a more globular or oval paper nest with a single entrance

that leads to multiple combs (Figure 3B). These nests may

be aerial, subterranean, or located in empty spaces inside

man-made structures. Yellowjacket nests contain only a

few individuals early in the spring, but may grow to several

thousand insects later in the summer. Yellowjackets will

aggressively defend their nest and will attack en mass

any intruder that disturbs or threatens the nest site. This

defensive behavior makes yellowjackets one of the most

dangerous insect species in the Pacic Northwest.

Life History and Management Options for

the Paper Wasp

The following section provides a seasonal synopsis of the

life history of the European paper wasp and the strate-

gies that homeowners can use to scout for, manage, and

conserve populations of this benecial insect in home

landscapes.

Mid-autumn

• In the autumn of each year, dozens of fertilized,

mature female (or queen) wasps (Figure 4) leave

their colony to overwinter in warm, sheltered

areas, including attics, garages, basements, and

other areas often within urban settings.

• Homeowners should make efforts to keep paper

wasps from entering into their living quarters by

maintaining door and window screens, repairing

or caulking holes in walls or siding, and screen-

ing off any attic and other household vents. These

precautions are especially necessary if anyone in

the household has a history of severe or allergic

reactions to bee stings.

• Check rewood for overwintering females before

bringing it into the home since these wasps natu-

rally overwinter in logs and fallen trees.

Early spring

• From April to May, a surviving queen wasp will seek

out a nesting site, construct a new single-comb nest

out of chewed or pulped wood (Figure5), or repair

or pirate another paper wasp’s nest.

• Female wasps deposit a single egg within each cell

of the nest.

• Cream-colored, legless grubs will complete their

development within these cells.

• Eventually each grub will cap off and pupate

within the cell.

• In early spring, homeowners may remove wasp

nests by knocking them down with a long broom,

pole, or strong stream of water from a hose. This

is the best time to remove a nest because only

a single female will be guarding it. It may take

repeated removal of each nest to discourage the

wasps from replacing it. It is important to wear

gloves and protective clothing to reduce any risk

of getting stung, and although the sting is mild, it

will get your attention.

Late spring/early summer

• Throughout the summer, adult wasps will forage

(Figure 6), capture, and feed the immature grubs

caterpillars and other insects.

• No control of paper wasp adults is recommended

since these wasps rarely sting while foraging.

• The commercially available baited traps used to

capture yellowjackets are typically not effective for

trapping European paper wasps.

Figure 4. An adult female wasp (or queen) gathering water

at a birdbath. (Photo courtesy of S. Spain, WSU Master

Gardener.)

Figure 5. An adult paper wasp guarding its nest from

intruders. Note the eggs, developing larvae or pupae in

each hexagonally shaped cell.

Late summer/early autumn

• During the summer or autumn, nests get larger and

multiple wasps may “guard” the nest, so physical

nest removal is more hazardous (Figure 7).

• Unwanted paper wasps and their nests located

in high trafc areas or hidden under furniture,

xtures, grills, and mailboxes can be sprayed with

an insecticide labeled for use in home landscapes.

These products often come as aerosol formulations

that can be sprayed directly towards the wasps and

their nesting sites from a safe distance of several

feet. For best control, spray these nests early in the

morning, or late in the evening when the adult

wasps are on the nest rather than foraging for food.

• For a list of products available for control of

home garden pests, consult the WSU publication

Hortsense: Home Gardener Fact Sheets for Managing

Plant Problems with IPM or Integrated Pest Manage-

ment at http://pep.wsu.edu/hortsense.

• Remove any wasp nests in autumn to prevent

recolonization of abandoned nests in the spring.

Conclusions

Paper wasps and yellowjacket wasps are primarily predators

that prey on other insects. They may be considered

benecial in the home landscape because they prey on

insects that are pests of landscape plants. Unfortunately,

yellowjacket wasps can be aggressive scavengers,

unwelcome visitors at picnics, and will defend their nest

by attacking and stinging anything that appears to pose

a threat. These behaviors make yellowjacket wasps a

serious threat to homeowner safety and may necessitate

control. Paper wasps, however, are much less aggressive

in scavenging and stinging, so they can be discouraged

from nesting in areas frequented by people and pets, and

they can be managed in a way that allows homeowners to

benet from the pest management services they provide.

The European Paper Wasp

Recommended publications

Дискретные вариации окраски осы Polistes dominulus (Christ) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) в Черноморском б...

Associative learning for danger avoidance nullifies innate positive chemotaxis to host olfactory sti...

Nourishment affects colony demographics in the paper wasp Polistes metricus

Nourishment level affects caste-related gene expression in Polistes wasps