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Few things make the average human flail and shutter like a small creature buzzing and diving at one's head. One of the most common head buzzers in this area is the paper wasp, a valuable and relatively docile creature.
The paper wasp is a social wasp-that is they build and live in a nest colony. In the late spring or early summer, a single fertilized female, who has wintered nearby, builds an open cell nest made of a papery material, which gives the insect its name "paper" wasp. The nest is generally built in a protected site. Common nest sites are under a building overhang, in exposed pipe ends and inside shed doors. The fertile female is essentially a paper factory. She chews on wood and scraps of paper around the yard, and through an internal process, creates the papery substance that forms the nest.
The nest is initially only a few open cells attached by a small pedestal to the protected site. When a few of the cells are complete she lays her eggs in them. She will feed the larvae until they are ready to pupate. At that time the cells are covered with a thin film until the new wasps are ready to emerge. These are worker wasps. They add on to the nest so that it may house additional eggs. Worker wasps also gather food and serve as nest defenders. When the nest gets its largest, approximately 8 inches in diameter, with several dozen wasps in residence, the greatest danger of stings exist if the nest or the nest area is disturbed by intruders. At the end of the season fertilized females find a protected site in which to winter. Cold weather will kill the remainder of the wasps.
Paper wasps have an unfortunate resemblance to yellow jackets, a much more aggressive creature. Paper wasps are slimmer than a yellow jacket and have longer legs that hang down when they fly. Identification is important because unlike yellow jackets, that generally nest underground and eat dead insects and garbage, paper wasps eat live insects. They are important biologic control agents in the garden since they control pests like the tomato hornworm, cabbage worm and corn earworm. But, it is important for butterfly gardeners to know that paper wasps also feed on butterfly larvae.
There are several strategies in dealing with paper wasps and things to remember:
- If you must spend a prolonged time near a nest, wear thick clothing and cover your head, neck and hands.
- Remember that wasp stingers are not barbed so a wasp can sting again, unlike a bee.
- Avoid bright, shiny jewelry when around wasps.
- Avoid wearing sweet scents when you are near wasps.
- Wear neutral, dull colors and avoid yellow, orange and red clothing.
- Do not agitate or let others agitate wasps by poking at nests or swatting at them. Keep movements slow.
- Paper wasps are not attracted to yellow jacket traps.
- If a paper wasp nest is removed, the area should be washed with detergent so that scent does not encourage them to nest there again.
When nests are close to where people gather or where children play, or if someone has sensitivity to stings, the nests may have to be destroyed. For more information on safe wasp control measures, visit ext.colostate.edu for CSU Fact Sheet #5.525, "Nuisance Wasps and Bees," or visit planttalk.org and read topic #1473, "European Paper Wasp"." This information can also be mailed by calling the Larimer County Extension Office at (970) 498-6000.
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