Paper Wasps: Identification, Nests, and Removal

Paper wasps are among the most commonly encountered wasps around homes and buildings in North America. Named for the papery material they use to construct their nests, these slender wasps are generally less aggressive than yellow jackets but will sting if their nest is threatened. Understanding paper wasps helps you decide when they pose a genuine risk and when they can be left alone.

Identifying Paper Wasps

Paper wasps are slender, elongated wasps measuring 0.75 to 1.25 inches long. Their most distinctive feature in flight is their long legs, which dangle noticeably below their bodies. Key identification features include:

• Body shape: Slender with a narrow waist and a spindle-shaped abdomen
• Color: Varies by species — common North American paper wasps (Polistes genus) are typically brownish-red with yellow markings, though some species are darker
• Wings: Folded lengthwise when at rest, giving them a narrow profile
• Legs: Long and trailing, visible during flight

Paper wasps are sometimes confused with yellow jackets, but they are noticeably slimmer and longer with less vivid coloring. See wasp vs. bee and types of wasps for more identification help.

Paper Wasp Nests

Paper wasp nests are unmistakable. They consist of a single layer of open, hexagonal cells attached to a surface by a narrow stalk, resembling an upside-down umbrella or parasol. The nests are made from wood fibers that the wasps chew and mix with saliva to create a papery pulp.

Common Nest Locations

Paper wasps prefer protected, horizontal surfaces for nest building:

• Under eaves and soffits
• Beneath porch ceilings and deck railings
• Inside open-ended pipes and mailboxes
• Under window ledges and shutters
• On playground equipment
• In attics with open access

Nest Size

A mature paper wasp nest typically contains 20 to 75 cells and houses 20 to 30 adults, though some species build larger nests with up to 200 cells. This is significantly smaller than yellow jacket or bald-faced hornet colonies, which can number in the thousands.

Paper Wasp Behavior

Temperament

Paper wasps are considered semi-aggressive. They will not chase you across a yard like yellow jackets might, but they will readily sting if you get too close to their nest or accidentally bump it. Workers patrolling near the nest may fly toward perceived threats as a warning before stinging.

Multiple paper wasps can sting in defense of a nest, and each wasp can sting multiple times. Learn more about wasp stings and sting treatment.

Diet

Adult paper wasps feed on nectar and sweet fluids. They hunt caterpillars, beetle larvae, and other soft-bodied insects to feed their developing larvae. This predatory behavior makes them beneficial garden insects — a single paper wasp colony can consume hundreds of pest caterpillars during a season. Read more about wasps that eat pests.

Life Cycle

Paper wasps follow the standard social wasp life cycle. A fertilized queen starts a new nest in spring, raises the first brood of workers alone, and then the workers take over foraging and nest expansion. The colony reaches peak size in late summer, produces new queens and males in fall, and dies off with the first hard frosts. Only newly mated queens survive winter.

When to Remove Paper Wasp Nests

Not every paper wasp nest needs to be removed. Consider leaving the nest alone if:

• It is in a low-traffic area away from doors, walkways, and play areas
• No one in your household is allergic to wasp stings
• You want free pest control in your garden

Remove the nest if:

• It is near a doorway, window, or high-traffic area
• Someone in your household has a wasp sting allergy
• Children or pets regularly play in the area
• Multiple nests are clustered together

How to Remove a Paper Wasp Nest

Paper wasp nests are among the easiest wasp nests to remove yourself because the colonies are small and the nests are usually accessible. For full instructions, see how to remove a wasp nest.

DIY Removal Steps

1. Timing: Work at dusk or just before dawn when wasps are least active and all workers are on the nest.
2. Protection: Wear long sleeves, pants, closed shoes, gloves, and a hat. Consider a face net.
3. Treatment: Stand as far back as possible and thoroughly soak the nest with wasp spray. Alternatively, a solution of dish soap and water in a spray bottle can knock down and kill wasps on a small nest.
4. Wait: Let the treated nest sit for 24 hours before removing it.
5. Removal: Scrape the nest off with a putty knife or stick. Place it in a sealed plastic bag and dispose of it.
6. Prevention: Clean the attachment point and apply a deterrent like peppermint oil to discourage new nest construction.

Preventing Paper Wasp Nests

Paper wasps return to the same general areas year after year because the same structural features that attracted them remain. To discourage future nests:

• Treat previous nest sites with essential oils in early spring
• Hang decoy nests — paper wasps may avoid areas they perceive as occupied by another colony
• Seal gaps in soffits, attic vents, and siding
• Apply residual insecticide to eaves and overhangs in early spring before queens begin nest building

For more strategies, see our wasp prevention tips and natural wasp repellents.

Expert Insight

Paper wasps are the species I deal with most frequently in my residential pest management practice. In 15 years as a Board Certified Entomologist, I have removed paper wasp nests from every conceivable location — playground equipment, mailboxes, gas grill lids, car door handles, and even inside a client's outdoor Christmas decoration storage box when she opened it in November.

What distinguishes paper wasps from yellow jackets in my field experience is their temperament. Paper wasps will generally let you observe their nest from a few feet away without becoming defensive. I have watched queens building nests from just two feet away many times. The problems start when people accidentally grab or press against a nest they did not see. Most paper wasp stings I respond to involve someone reaching into a spot — a shed shelf, a rolled-up patio umbrella — without looking first.

References and Further Reading

• University of Kentucky Entomology - Paper Wasps — Comprehensive entomological profile of paper wasp species, behavior, and management.
• Penn State Extension - Paper Wasps — Extension guidance on paper wasp identification, nesting habits, and control options.
• NPMA - Paper Wasp Facts — Consumer resources on paper wasp biology and safe removal practices.
• EPA - Safe Pest Control — EPA guidelines for managing wasps using registered pesticide products safely.
• CDC - Stinging Insects — CDC health information on sting prevention and allergic reaction management.

Main Causes

Wasps build nests on structures because eaves, soffits, attic vents, deck rafters, wall voids, shed interiors, and dense shrubbery provide protected anchor points and easy access to forage. Queens emerging in spring seek out these locations, and a single founding queen establishes a colony that grows from a few cells in April to hundreds or thousands of workers by late summer. Indoor encounters happen when nests in wall voids or attics route through entry points, when foragers come inside through open doors and damaged screens chasing food and water, and during fall when colonies are at peak size and most defensive. Outdoor food and sweet drinks, ripening fruit, garbage, and uncovered pet food all amplify foraging pressure around occupied spaces.

How to Identify

Identify the species and locate the nest before any control action. Paper wasps build open, downward-facing umbrella-shaped combs under eaves, deck railings, playground equipment, and grill covers. Yellow jackets build enclosed papery nests in wall voids, attics, ground holes, and dense shrubs. Bald-faced hornets build large basketball-sized gray paper nests hanging from tree branches and structure corners. Mud daubers build small mud tubes on walls and ceilings and are non-aggressive. Watch returning workers at dusk to pinpoint nest entry points, especially for ground and wall-void nests that are otherwise invisible. Species, nest size, and nest location together determine whether removal is straightforward, hazardous, or requires professional intervention.

Risk and Severity

Wasp stings are painful, common, and occasionally life-threatening. Most stings produce localized pain and swelling and resolve within hours, but multiple stings or stings in someone with venom allergy can trigger anaphylaxis — a medical emergency requiring epinephrine and emergency care. Yellow jackets and hornets are particularly aggressive when nests are disturbed and can deliver dozens of stings to a single person, especially with ground-nesting yellow jackets where mowing or yard work triggers mass defensive responses. Stings inside the mouth or throat from swallowed wasps can produce dangerous airway swelling regardless of allergy status. Risk scales with nest size, nest location relative to occupied space, household members with venom allergy, and time of year — late summer is peak risk.

Solutions and Actions

Treat wasp nests at dawn or dusk when most workers are inside and least active, wearing protective clothing covering all skin, eyes, and face. For paper wasp nests in accessible locations, use a wasp and hornet jet spray rated for the species from a safe distance, then remove the dead nest material the next day to discourage rebuilding. For yellow jacket nests in wall voids, ground holes, or attics — and for any large nest with visible heavy traffic — use a licensed professional, because these nests harbor hundreds to thousands of workers and disturbing them produces mass stinging responses. Never plug a wall-void nest entry without first eliminating the colony, because trapped workers will tunnel through interior wall surfaces seeking exit.

Prevention

Prevention focuses on denying nest sites and reducing forage attractants. Inspect eaves, soffits, attic vents, deck railings, sheds, and outbuildings in early spring and brush down any starting nests while they are still small enough for a single queen to be the only occupant. Seal cracks larger than a quarter inch in siding, soffit gaps, and around utility penetrations to block wall-void access. Cover outdoor garbage cans and recycling with tight-fitting lids, keep sweet drinks and food covered during outdoor meals, and clean fruit drops from yards promptly. Maintain window and door screens and add door sweeps. Run a targeted residual treatment under eaves and along soffits in early summer where paper wasp nesting has been a recurring problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I identify a paper wasp nest?

Paper wasp nests are open, umbrella-shaped combs made of chewed wood fiber. They have a single stalk attaching the comb to a surface and visible hexagonal cells, often with eggs, larvae, or pupae visible from below. They typically contain 20 to 75 cells and are attached under eaves, porch ceilings, deck railings, and other sheltered horizontal surfaces. Unlike yellow jacket nests, they have no outer paper envelope.

Are paper wasps aggressive?

Paper wasps are moderately defensive but not inherently aggressive. They will sting to defend their nest if they perceive a direct threat, but they are far less likely to attack unprovoked compared to yellow jackets. Most paper wasp stings occur from accidental contact — reaching into a space where a nest is hidden — rather than deliberate attacks on humans.

Do paper wasps come back to the same spot every year?

Paper wasp queens often build new nests near the location of the previous year's nest. While they do not reuse old nests, the pheromone markings left on the nesting surface can attract new queens the following spring. To prevent re-nesting, remove old nests in winter and treat the area with a repellent or residual insecticide before spring.

When is the best time to remove a paper wasp nest?

The best time to remove a paper wasp nest is in spring when the colony is small and contains only the queen and a few workers. Early-season nests with fewer than 10 cells can often be knocked down with a broom or sprayed with soapy water with minimal risk. By mid-summer, colonies grow larger and become more defensive, making removal more hazardous.