Paper wasp

Paper Wasps are social wasps, making up the genus Polistes. They form small colonies with umbrella-shaped nests in sheltered spots, and are quite mild-mannered. They feed on caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects, most of them pests.

Despite the use of the proper name, all social wasps make nests from paper. The larger colonial species, Yellowjackets, Hornets, can be very defensive and should not be approached unless one is experienced. All are beneficial and should be protected if possible. In Europe, hornets are a threatened species and are protected by law.

Paper wasps gather fibers from old wood, chew them and mix with saliva to make a water-resistant gray paper. Humans may have learned to make paper from watching wasps. In the photo one can see a much roughed deck post from the continual gathering of wood fibers by wasps making nests.

The European Polistes wasp, Polistes dominulus (which is likely to be the species in the upper photo), was introduced into the US about 1981 and has quickly spread throughout most of the country, in most cases replacing native species within a couple years. It nests earlier in the spring, in a wider variety of nest sites, is more aggressive, and feeds on a larger variety of insects. Native species feed almost entirely on caterpillars. Some entomologists are considering this to be an invasive species, while others note that it may become an important control of Japanese beetle a serious invasive pest.

See also: biocontrol