Paper Wasps. How to Tell Them Apart and Get Rid of a Nest

Paper wasps in the genus Polistes are about 1 inch long with slender bodies, long legs and a clearly thin waist.¹ They are usually golden brown or darker with yellow or red patches.¹

Yellowjackets are stockier with a very short waist and a closed paper nest.¹ The European paper wasp is the only paper wasp with bright orange antennae.⁴

The nest is the best clue. A paper wasp nest hangs like an open umbrella from an eave, an attic, a branch or a vine and rarely grows past the size of an outstretched hand.¹ The comb is a single layer of open cells.⁴ Compare the photos above, and see the yellowjacket guide if your nest is a closed ball.

Each nest starts with one queen that survived the winter in a protected spot.² She builds alone in spring, and her first helpers are workers. A colony usually ends up at 15 to 200 wasps.¹

Nests are easy to miss early on. They become noticeable in midsummer, once they are large enough.² Native paper wasps usually nest under building eaves or inside buildings like attics.²

New drones and queens appear from late summer to early fall. They mate in fall, and the queens overwinter elsewhere.² The parent colony dies in winter and nests last one season.^1,2

That is why a winter knockdown of an old nest is safe. The wasps are gone.

• A gray, papery comb with open cells hanging from a short stalk, no outer cover.^1,4
• Slim wasps with dangling legs hovering at a porch light, a soffit or a deck rail.¹
• Nests under eaves, in attics, on branches and on vines.¹
• A nest hidden in shrubbery, which points to the European paper wasp.²
• A few wasps coming and going all day, not the heavy traffic of a yellowjacket nest.¹

Check door frames, garage rafters and the underside of the grill cover in summer.

Paper wasps are the less troublesome group. UC IPM calls them rarely aggressive.¹ Ohio State says they defend their nests and can sting more than once.²

The European paper wasp is more aggressive and often nests in plants, which puts gardeners at more risk.³ Other paper wasps usually do not sting unless the nest is in a high-traffic area or you handle them.⁴

Allergy is the real danger. One to two people in 1,000 are allergic to bee or wasp stings.⁶ Hives, dizziness, trouble breathing or a swollen throat need emergency care.⁶

For a normal sting, Ohio State says use an ice pack in 10 minute rounds and take an antihistamine. Get care for more than 10 stings or a sting in the mouth or around the eyes.⁷

Most paper wasp nests need nothing. UC IPM says leave them unless they are near people.¹ Most social wasps are beneficial predators.¹ Paper wasps also feed caterpillars and sawfly larvae to their young and pollinate plants.²

If a nest is over a door, knock it down early. UC IPM says knocking down an early-season nest can make the founding queen relocate or join another nest.¹ Use an aerosol labeled for wasp nests, with extreme caution and full protective clothing.¹

Do not bother with traps. Trapping is only suggested for yellowjackets, not other social wasps.¹ For a European paper wasp nest, Washington State University suggests removing it in winter.⁴

Call a pro when the nest is hard to reach, inside a wall or you are allergic. Ask which species was found and whether a return visit is included. A professional is the right call for a nest that threatens people.²

Paper wasps are the cheap ones. One national guide averages $385 for paper wasp removal, compared with $450 for hornets, $625 for bald-faced hornets and $725 for yellowjackets.⁵

The typical wasp job runs $212 to $875 across all types.⁵ Attic nests run $325 to $450 and low outdoor nests about $300.⁵ Aerosol averages $125 and dusting $200.⁵

A nest of 10 to 50 wasps averages about $200.⁵ That is a good match for most paper wasp nests, since colonies hold 15 to 200 wasps.^1,5

The DIY route is a $57 to $227 kit of spray, dust and a bee suit.⁵ Prices are national, so ask for a local quote.

• Check eaves, porch ceilings, attics and sheds in spring and knock down tiny nests early.¹
• Do not swat at wasps. Walk away calmly and let them leave.⁷
• Know where your attic, soffit and shed nests tend to start, since native paper wasps often nest under eaves and inside attics.²
• Keep screens in good repair.⁷
• Cover food and drinks and keep trash sealed.¹
• Walk the yard once a month in summer and note any new nest, so you can decide early whether it is near people.¹
• Watch out for nests in shrubs before you trim, since European paper wasps nest in plants.³

Queens wake in spring once temperatures warm.³ Washington State University lists golden paper wasps as active from April to October.⁴

Nests stay small until midsummer, when they get large enough to notice.² New queens and males show up in late summer and early fall, and the colony ends in winter.²

UC IPM describes the same one-season life in California, with colonies growing from spring to midsummer.¹ The grid above is a month-by-month picture of both states. Early summer is the time to look, before a nest has grown and while one queen and a few workers are all that is there.²

Ohio State lists paper wasps, yellowjackets and baldfaced hornets together as stinging wasps in the family Vespidae.² Native paper wasps often nest under building eaves or inside buildings such as attics. European paper wasps may nest in shrubbery.²

The European paper wasp reached North America in the 1970s near Boston and is more aggressive than the natives.³

Ohio State Extension says to avoid nests and have a professional remove any that threaten people.³ In Ohio, anyone who applies pesticides to a client's property for pay needs a commercial applicator license from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.⁸ General pest control is Category 10a.⁸

UC IPM says paper wasps, the Polistes species, are about 1 inch long and rarely aggressive. Their nests hang like an open umbrella from eaves, attics, branches and vines.¹

In California yellowjackets are the main pest among the social wasps and paper wasps are the less troublesome group.¹ Paper wasp nests usually need no treatment.¹

Need help? UC IPM names your local Mosquito and Vector Control District, which may remove nests, and licensed pest control operators.¹ The California Structural Pest Control Board has a Verify a Company or Licensee page for checking a business.⁹