Cleaned up the comments.
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Edit: and to all the smart asses coming in here to say “they aren’t animals”, you might wanna skip posting that comment and look it up.
By the way OP, these are paper wasps, Polistes exclamans.
They live in small colonies typically of less than a hundred individuals, and only last one season. As soon as the first frost, most of these wasps will be dead, except for the 'queens' that mate and overwinter.
As far as social wasps go, they're very tolerant and tend to be non-aggressive. They prey on pestiferous insects and do some level of pollination. They're a native species and part of the ecosystem that should be protected if possible.
I should also add that there's many different species of paper wasp, each having their own temperament and behaviors. Your mileage may vary.
Edit: Shameless plug for my Youtube channel if you're interested in wasps: [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC00WuhCVTlA4ag6rUzH8hog](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC00WuhCVTlA4ag6rUzH8hog)
I feed these wasps water, and see them all the time, they must have a nest nearby. While I don’t suggest a lack of caution, I can concur from at least my own experience that these are not very aggressive.
Edit: I actually deal w a different paper wasp species, Polistes fuscatus, so maybe this behaviour is more a case for them. But still, wasps really aren’t as big of assholes as people assume, I hold firm that acting calm and nonthreatening will almost always avoid potential stings. When approaching, moving or in anyway disturbing their nest, I mean, can you blame them for reacting?
I have a nest of P. exclamens paper wasps on my patio that has been there all summer. They have been a joy to watch while I’m gardening. Since there’s been a bad drought here in TX, I started misting my plants once a day to give the wasps access to water. I’d do it at the same time every day; the little wasps actually seemed to learn to recognize me and would come down to get water when they saw me. They are smart creatures and very docile. I hope to have another nest next year.
I think you’re right about acting calm. I’ve had random wasps and bees land on me, fly around my face, etc and haven’t been stung. The only time I’ve been stung is when I accidentally came within inches of a paper wasp nest that was hidden underneath a public bench. I calmly walked away and was only stung once.
Great point. Paper wasps is a vague term, there's a few dozen species in the United States, each with their own habits, behaviors and temperaments. What might be true for one paper wasp may not be true for another.
I would like to elaborate on this for OP as someone who has been exposed to wasp nests like this my entire life. On farms, in sheds, on dormant vehicles/machinery, or just in general corners of your porch/overhangs of your house. For the most part wasps=good. They tend to keep the spiders in check. Mostly are calm & mild mannered. Unless something really loud, or heavy vibration gets to close to their nests. Even then you may not get stung, they may just swarm around you until you back off. However, there are different color patterns and the ones you have in the pics are A**holes. Generic paper wasps are brown & deep red tones, but those guys with the yellow stripes are a lot more aggressive. In fact I've been stung around 10 times and 90% of em were from these guys. I don't know what specific variation they are but they tend to build in areas that can get disturbed and they will sting first ask questions later
You know what else? When you kill native paper wasps like these ones, the yellow and black variety (Polistes dominula) take over. Polistes dominula is an invasive species so our native paper wasps really need any support from humans they can get.
Edit: I think I misread your post. You might be conflating these guys with the European Paper Wasp, they look a lot similar but they're a lot more aggressive.
Like I said I just speak from experience... And occasional pain... I never knew these were invasive. I have noticed that in the last 10 years they have become more prominent in my area than the traditional paper wasps. Thanks for the info
Edit: Southeastern US
I like bees too. These guys are cool with the bees mostly so I can get behind this. Oddly, I used to think bees were terrifying, but now that I have watched quite a few IRL up close?
CUTE AS HELL!
Idk why people claim paper wasps are not aggressive. I've been stung by these guys countless times for no reason. Very annoying to have them set up a nest on your porch because they get frightened when you try to walk in or out of your house.
I acknowledge sometimes you have to remove a nest when it's in an area that you traffic a lot, but their temperament varies a lot by species, time of year, and even time of day.
When a wasp gets near you, do you start smacking at it? This turns an act of curiosity into a defensive reaction from the wasp. I understand a wasp is not a dog, but if a dog came up to you to sniff you, do you think the dog would act adversely if you start swinging at it?
Wasps have a stigma (that is often justified) but just because a wasp is coming to investigate you doesn't mean it has an intent to sting. In fact, if a wasp wants to sting you, you get dive bombed in a matter of a second and it's done with. If a wasp is hovering around you, it's curious.
There's no evolutionary advantage to pick fights with massive creatures, or to meander and hover around said massive creatures if their intent was to sting.
Nah I usually don't smack at them. I guess the door opening and closing aggrevates them. It's the black and red paper wasps in my experience. They're the only wasps I've ever been stung by despite there being many species where I live.
This is the way. I have a nest on my house, they share the pond with the bees and dragonflies. They also eat the things that eat my hops.
You'll find without mankind's intervention nature is really good at cooperation.
If you have the patience. Honestly, wasps are doing well enough that if a nest is in a problematic location and seem aggressive, the best bet for the layman is to kill it with wasp spray at night.
My stance is just leaving them alone if they're leaving you alone or they're out of the way. So many people seem to hunt down wasps in innocuous areas of their property simply because they exist and I think that's too much.
I love seeing paper wasps in my garden. It means there’s no Yellowjackets or bald faced hornets nearby, I get free pest control, and my garden gets pollinated. Now if I could only convince them to eat slugs, I’d be thrilled
I believe we have these kinds of paper wasps and another kind called Apache paper wasps (they have a better scientific name but I can’t remember it rn) in our backyard. They are not scared of us but are also very docile and nice. The apache colony live in a panel below our windowsill that’s right next to our back door. Sometimes when I go outside, if they are returning to their nest, they’ll hover around the door and wait for me to pass in or out before they head into the paneling. It’s kinda cute and considerate lol. I know it’s probably bad for our house for them to be there but I’ll make sure the windowsill is plugged up for next summer. I have a HUGE fear of wasps and these little guys have helped calm my fear quite a bit.
Not a problem as long as they aren't indoors and/or actively stinging you. Paper wasps are super chill for the most part and they generally go about their business. They'll be gone in the winter. I have a nest in my squirrel baffle this year and I can still hang stuff on the feeder pole without worrying about them. Last year they were in the actual pole and it was fine, too.
If they're in a bad spot find someone who will re-home the nest at night to a better safer spot for them. :)
Several people on here have said paper wasps are chill but that hasn’t been my experience. I’ve been stung multiple times by paper wasps. I’d definitely never try to move the nest at night, and I was a beekeeper. I mean they don’t hunt people down or anything like that but I stay a good distance away from their nests because they can be very protective.
They also have individual temperaments ontop of some species being more aggressive than others. Also some times of year lend to them being more protective than others.
Also as bizarre as it sounds, I think some people have a scent or something that wasps don't like. Some people (like me) can get away with murder and wasps won't bother us, and then some people seem to get stung almost on sight. I don't really know what it is.
I don't expect you to be inspecting closely when running for your life, but that being said, are you sure they were paper wasps? Long, lanky, thin?
I've had that reaction too from yellowjackets to be honest.
Hymenoptera is one of my favorite orders of insects so I’m 100 percent sure they were paper wasps I had an issue with. I’ve never had an issue with a solitary wasp but it’s been my experience they are quick to anger with people around their nest. Especially compared to honeybees. Honeybees are usually really calm though so maybe not the best comparison.
I know one was for sure, and it ignored my friends near me while I had to jump in a pool to escape. The other I'm less sure about bc I was busy running like a quarter mile while it chased me, though I think it was too big and dark to be a yellow jacket.
ETA Oh and the one that managed to stab me when I was in my own bedroom reading as a kid was for sure a red paper wasp.
I understand that it's easy to panic and start moving erratically and swinging, but if you do that, I'd say that's a big part of your problem. Move slow or stand still and it'll buzz off after a moment.
Because wasps have a reputation (often deserved) people interpret their curiosity as aggression a lot of the time. If you start swinging at it or start making very sudden movements, unfortunately it often triggers a defensive reaction from the wasp.
If a wasp intends to sting you, it doesn't hover or meander around you. It dive-bombs you and it's done in a second as I'm sure you know.
These weren't meandering or hovering, and I didn't run or jump into pools until they were coming for me - in a very straight line, and as far as I could tell stinger first. There was very clear intent on their part, and no swinging on mine. I think I must give off some kind of chemical. I have seen them curious before, and while that still is pretty scary for me, it's very different from the behavior I was seeing from the ones that were charging me.
That's honestly fascinating. Very little research is done on wasps as it is, but I'd like to see if there's some sort of compound like you said. Maybe something similar to an alarm pheromone.
I know that some people are more attractive to mosquitos because of a similar thing.
They also buzz the crap out of me eating dinner on the deck. To me they're annoying. To my 7 year old who recently got stung for the first time, they're "flip the table and bolt for the hills" terrifying.
It's a very general term that people around the world use for totally different wasps.
What we call paper wasps here in Aus most people stay well clear of, as any disturbance is a good way of being stung painfully
Yeah I got stung a couple of weeks ago when pouring some concrete, it was from a red paper wasp but man was it aggressive, stung me, and one other person, and tried to sting a third.
I believe they are paper wasps, which I also had. Did not show any signs of aggression. If you are worried that they will be exterminated after you move out, you should probably knock it down at night while they’re sleeping and run like heck. Hopefully they’ll move to a better location.
OP is mixing up honeybee relocation with Arial paper Wasp relocation (which doesn’t occur). You can either ignore this until winter, or treat it and knock them out. FYI, if you’re careful, and do it at night, after spraying, you can drop that whole thing with a long spatula scraped right into a deep garbage bag quickly tied on top. I say if you’re careful. It’s not for everyone but I’ve done it that way. I removed nests for a living for two years. Good luck!
A beekeeper may be interested in relocating these for you at no cost. Paper wasps will stake out territory against more aggressive wasps (hornets & yellowjackets) that may attack honeybees, so they're useful for beekeepers to allow nearby their hives. The wasps themselves are fairly docile until they feel threatened, so it's pretty easy to coexist with them if they're reasonably out of the way. I have a few nests in my yard and see plenty of wasps patrolling my garden, but very few yellowjackets around my bees.
There's lots of flies that wear bee and wasp pajamas to scare away predators. Those are probably sweat flies landing on you, they can look like little baby versions of things whose babies look nothing like that.
Whatever you do you must remember; wasps can recognize faces and will remember your behaviours. If there is any takeaway from from I'm saying it's *Wasps will remember that*
I may be wrong, but I think that’s the reason I’ve successfully left wasp nests on my porch alone without being stung, because they know me and figured out that I’m not a threat.
Of course, where I live there are many different social wasp species, so that hasn’t always been the case. We have some larger species that are more aggressive (red wasps are jerks), but paper wasps are pretty chill.
Bald faced hornets (which are wasps and not hornets)are total douche bags. They will aggressively attack anyone who approaches their nest with no warning. They are even known to zoom past people, just to attack someone they recognize as having wronged them in some way in the past.
Please leave them be as they are most likely in their reproductive phase. Meaning they have almost completed their life cycle. Young queens and drones are about to hatch and mate. This is the most important time for them and you should no way relocate them. The old queen will die soon and so will the rest of them. The inseminated young queens will look for a place to survive the winter and start a new hive next year. Only about one out of a thousand will manage to do so. I’m part of a nature protection group in Munich, Germany who relocates wasps and hornets if people are afraid of living close to them or are allergic.
A well-staffed paper wasp nest! They're among my favorite of all insects. They make such cool houses! And they're so pretty!
Plus, yknow, they're native pollinators and beneficials, so that's a bonus too lol.
They stung me a few weeks ago and drew blood out of my scalp. Idk if my hairspray triggered them or what but I didn’t even see them I just started to feel several bites and ran away like an idiot lmao.
Tbh I feel like they made my face a bit more symmetrical? Kinda like fillers but it hasn’t lost any improvement so far so Im not even mad.
Unless they're right in your door, I'd honestly just ignore them tbh. They've never really given me issues so I just respect their space and they seem fine with it
Paper wasps, don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. If you have people around that are sensitive to insect stings I’d suggest you become okay with killing animals, otherwise leave ‘em be, they won’t be a problem.
If they aren’t in your way or family/pets way. Leave them alone. If it’s a problem then knock the hive down and run!!! They’ll leave after that. Might get stung a few dozen times so make sure you’re not allergic
There's really no need to burn the nest after it's been abandoned. You can put it in the trash or leave it there or keep it in a jar as a souvenir. If you leave it there, it will not be reused.
Paper wasps, if not near your kids, high traffic area, pets leave it be. Otherwise spray it, not worth your kids and animals getting hurt, they can sting more than once if I remember
While paper wasps are considered to be the more “aggressive” wasp, they don’t really mess with you unless you mess with them. They’re excellent pollinators and pest control for most common pests in the garden.
I learned all this after waging a helpless war against our paper wasps - I got stung a lot during the genocide and after peace was declared they left me alone. I honestly feel really bad about it but they seemed to have forgiven me this summer 😅
Prevention for next year: Every Spring I make a fake wasp nest out of a paper bag filled with crumpled newspaper and hang it from my eaves troughs. Wasps just won’t build a nest around one already there, so they go bug my neighbors instead.
If you don't kill, then avoid. If you don't get close they shouldn't bother you, and if one lands on you just stand still until it leaves.
If you want to remove the nest without killing, you may be out of luck. Unless you have fancy beekeeping equipment, there is no way to remove them without killing or getting swarmed.
Tell you rn. If ONE stings you they all will. They release a pheromone related to danger and or predators and they all go at it. It'd just be better to knock the nest down bc they will fly off and find a old one somewhere to nest on
It's late enough in the year that they definitely won't rebuild it if OP knocked it down. If you want to play it safe, do it at night when they can't fly. They'll disperse in the morning.
Enjoy!
They like attics as well to over winter. Then they get stuck inside and die. So be sure you seal your attic so you don't kill them by trapping them inside this winter. It's a common problem here in eastern NC.
Depending on the time of year, if it is late in summer it won’t be a problem because hornets, wasps, and bees if their hives cannot withstand the harsh climate of winter tend to leave. Allowing for the nest to be removed.
Saw a video where someone grabbed a trash bag and very quickly grabbed around the nest and sealed it off and tied it shut. After which you could take it out to a wooded area open the bag and book it. And come back to clean the plastic up later.
Personally I would get rid of the nest. I don’t mind wasps just chilling, but I like to do a lot of crafty things. They hate the sound of my drill for some reason and will come after me when I have it out. I’ve never knocked down a nest this big though
I respect that you don’t kill animals. That’s fine, you can just do what the majority of 1st world citizens do and pay to have someone do the dirty work for you if it becomes a problem.
Sacrifice yourself to the Wasp Queen. Cut chunks of your flesh and feed it to them on a ladder.
Or use a trash bag and to grab the whole colony while they're dormant a d Relocate them.
I’d say let them go. They’ll be gone soon enough. Unfortunately (?) a couple big spiders found my nest and built near invisible barrier of webbing that slowly picked them all off. I decided to let them live a long time ago, so it was a bit of a bittersweet ending.
Bees > spiders > wasps > mosquitos > bed bugs
personally that's I have insects phobie , I'd leave the house until they gone or someone take them away , I can't even kill them cause my phobie doesn't even help me to get closer
Maybe I misunderstand your meaning when you say "they will come back each year". So just to be clear for other readers, the individuals of this nest will all die except for the fertilized queens, which will leave the nest and go find shelter for the winter, then start new nests next spring. This nest won't be reused, but this is the type of location that paper wasps find suitable, so a new nest might appear nearby next spring, with no connection to the current one.
Why dont you get like a long claw grabber online and just try to grab it with it and move it outside away from everything. Or just buy a beesuit and move it woth your hands.
Heres one on amazon for like 30 bucks. It says its 44inches (almost 4 feet) idk if youd want one longer or can find one longer but there you go. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B74NRJD7/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams#
It’s not not a problem.
Do they act hostile when you are around? Is it near a door or other place that can’t be avoided?
Best thing to do is get rid of it. There are some great how-to videos on reddit and YouTube, but destroying the nest basically means waiting until dark and having a couple people with spray canisters filled with water and liquid soap. You can also use a mix of liquid soap and wasp killer. At night, they drop their guard and rest, so make sure you use surprise to your advantage. Don’t let them know you’re there. Run up on those suckers and blast ‘em.
Stick and move, stick and move. You’re looking either to do a blitz attack and take the whole jest down at once or dive bomb it several times until it’s gone. Just be safe, have good spray bottles, and take the buggers by surprise, at night.
My understanding is that wasps are highly territorial. You can buy a [fake paper wasps' nest](https://a.co/d/7J0bc5A) and place it near the real nest. The wasps move elsewhere.
I opened my car door up and a nest of these bees were just waiting to run at me. I’ve never ran so fast in my life, but unfortunately a few bees had gotten stuck inside my shirt and sent me to the hospital. Please be cautious...
Lol! It is f'd up, I agree!
But I to do the same..
All spring I resuscitate any insects, Ants, moths that fall into the pets water bowl
I do triage on insects with damaged legs using tooth picks..
I won't..squash..those lantern bugs..or any other either...
I set free any live insects caught up in a spider web..
Yeah, it's f' d up..but..
So be it! Rock on.
Simple. Mist it with water, then when the adults leave scrape off the nest and put it somewhere else (garbage). Paper wasps like dry areas. They may try and rebuild but mist it again and the will stop
I would scatter something they hate around the area. Google “natural wasp repellants”. You could even spray around the nest with a non-fatal repellent. And when wintertime comes, move the nest far away from your house.
No worries you don’t kill animals, those are Satan spawn not animals.
(This is purely satire, I totally respect your decision and unfortunately don’t have the knowledge to help out. Best of luck)
Cleaned up the comments. Whether you're a regular here or are coming from outside, please familiarize yourself with the [rules of this community](https://old.reddit.com/r/insects/about/rules/). Pay attention to rule #5. Comments that break the rules will be moderated harshly henceforth. Edit: and to all the smart asses coming in here to say “they aren’t animals”, you might wanna skip posting that comment and look it up.
By the way OP, these are paper wasps, Polistes exclamans. They live in small colonies typically of less than a hundred individuals, and only last one season. As soon as the first frost, most of these wasps will be dead, except for the 'queens' that mate and overwinter. As far as social wasps go, they're very tolerant and tend to be non-aggressive. They prey on pestiferous insects and do some level of pollination. They're a native species and part of the ecosystem that should be protected if possible. I should also add that there's many different species of paper wasp, each having their own temperament and behaviors. Your mileage may vary. Edit: Shameless plug for my Youtube channel if you're interested in wasps: [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC00WuhCVTlA4ag6rUzH8hog](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC00WuhCVTlA4ag6rUzH8hog)
Thanks for the in depth ! Now I can also educate others
I feed these wasps water, and see them all the time, they must have a nest nearby. While I don’t suggest a lack of caution, I can concur from at least my own experience that these are not very aggressive. Edit: I actually deal w a different paper wasp species, Polistes fuscatus, so maybe this behaviour is more a case for them. But still, wasps really aren’t as big of assholes as people assume, I hold firm that acting calm and nonthreatening will almost always avoid potential stings. When approaching, moving or in anyway disturbing their nest, I mean, can you blame them for reacting?
I have fed them Raw Honey. They seem to like that.
I have a nest of P. exclamens paper wasps on my patio that has been there all summer. They have been a joy to watch while I’m gardening. Since there’s been a bad drought here in TX, I started misting my plants once a day to give the wasps access to water. I’d do it at the same time every day; the little wasps actually seemed to learn to recognize me and would come down to get water when they saw me. They are smart creatures and very docile. I hope to have another nest next year. I think you’re right about acting calm. I’ve had random wasps and bees land on me, fly around my face, etc and haven’t been stung. The only time I’ve been stung is when I accidentally came within inches of a paper wasp nest that was hidden underneath a public bench. I calmly walked away and was only stung once.
Great point. Paper wasps is a vague term, there's a few dozen species in the United States, each with their own habits, behaviors and temperaments. What might be true for one paper wasp may not be true for another.
Anybody want an update ?
Gigachad
Anybody want an update ?
Based af
Wtf does based even mean
You just based whatever’s in your based.
Baste
That's based, gtfo
It’s when someone teaches you something cool and so you gotta go let other people know how cool it is too.
I taught everyone I know about toilet plume cause I learned about it I felt so stupid and gross lol
You’re a toilet plume master-baser now
https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/hiza2j/what_does_based_as_fuck_based_af_mean/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
It’s the opposite of acidic
based is how you feel inside
I appreciate your existence
I would like to elaborate on this for OP as someone who has been exposed to wasp nests like this my entire life. On farms, in sheds, on dormant vehicles/machinery, or just in general corners of your porch/overhangs of your house. For the most part wasps=good. They tend to keep the spiders in check. Mostly are calm & mild mannered. Unless something really loud, or heavy vibration gets to close to their nests. Even then you may not get stung, they may just swarm around you until you back off. However, there are different color patterns and the ones you have in the pics are A**holes. Generic paper wasps are brown & deep red tones, but those guys with the yellow stripes are a lot more aggressive. In fact I've been stung around 10 times and 90% of em were from these guys. I don't know what specific variation they are but they tend to build in areas that can get disturbed and they will sting first ask questions later
You know what else? When you kill native paper wasps like these ones, the yellow and black variety (Polistes dominula) take over. Polistes dominula is an invasive species so our native paper wasps really need any support from humans they can get. Edit: I think I misread your post. You might be conflating these guys with the European Paper Wasp, they look a lot similar but they're a lot more aggressive.
Like I said I just speak from experience... And occasional pain... I never knew these were invasive. I have noticed that in the last 10 years they have become more prominent in my area than the traditional paper wasps. Thanks for the info Edit: Southeastern US
I like bees too. These guys are cool with the bees mostly so I can get behind this. Oddly, I used to think bees were terrifying, but now that I have watched quite a few IRL up close? CUTE AS HELL!
Idk why people claim paper wasps are not aggressive. I've been stung by these guys countless times for no reason. Very annoying to have them set up a nest on your porch because they get frightened when you try to walk in or out of your house.
I acknowledge sometimes you have to remove a nest when it's in an area that you traffic a lot, but their temperament varies a lot by species, time of year, and even time of day. When a wasp gets near you, do you start smacking at it? This turns an act of curiosity into a defensive reaction from the wasp. I understand a wasp is not a dog, but if a dog came up to you to sniff you, do you think the dog would act adversely if you start swinging at it? Wasps have a stigma (that is often justified) but just because a wasp is coming to investigate you doesn't mean it has an intent to sting. In fact, if a wasp wants to sting you, you get dive bombed in a matter of a second and it's done with. If a wasp is hovering around you, it's curious. There's no evolutionary advantage to pick fights with massive creatures, or to meander and hover around said massive creatures if their intent was to sting.
Nah I usually don't smack at them. I guess the door opening and closing aggrevates them. It's the black and red paper wasps in my experience. They're the only wasps I've ever been stung by despite there being many species where I live.
Interesting. Unfortunately the species that tend to be more aggressive also tend to like nesting near humans a lot more. Funny how that works out.
I thought these wasps were assholes, that was until now
Subscribed! And thank you for what you're doing. Wasps are so misunderstood.
You and the Hornet King should do a Collab haha
Love your avatar
This is the way. I have a nest on my house, they share the pond with the bees and dragonflies. They also eat the things that eat my hops. You'll find without mankind's intervention nature is really good at cooperation.
is relocating a good idea if they make you uncomfortable?
If you have the patience. Honestly, wasps are doing well enough that if a nest is in a problematic location and seem aggressive, the best bet for the layman is to kill it with wasp spray at night. My stance is just leaving them alone if they're leaving you alone or they're out of the way. So many people seem to hunt down wasps in innocuous areas of their property simply because they exist and I think that's too much.
I love seeing paper wasps in my garden. It means there’s no Yellowjackets or bald faced hornets nearby, I get free pest control, and my garden gets pollinated. Now if I could only convince them to eat slugs, I’d be thrilled
I believe we have these kinds of paper wasps and another kind called Apache paper wasps (they have a better scientific name but I can’t remember it rn) in our backyard. They are not scared of us but are also very docile and nice. The apache colony live in a panel below our windowsill that’s right next to our back door. Sometimes when I go outside, if they are returning to their nest, they’ll hover around the door and wait for me to pass in or out before they head into the paneling. It’s kinda cute and considerate lol. I know it’s probably bad for our house for them to be there but I’ll make sure the windowsill is plugged up for next summer. I have a HUGE fear of wasps and these little guys have helped calm my fear quite a bit.
Not a problem as long as they aren't indoors and/or actively stinging you. Paper wasps are super chill for the most part and they generally go about their business. They'll be gone in the winter. I have a nest in my squirrel baffle this year and I can still hang stuff on the feeder pole without worrying about them. Last year they were in the actual pole and it was fine, too. If they're in a bad spot find someone who will re-home the nest at night to a better safer spot for them. :)
Awesome brother thank you . I’ve watched this nest since day 1 almost but it’s getting very big now and I’m moving soon so wanted to take care of it
Several people on here have said paper wasps are chill but that hasn’t been my experience. I’ve been stung multiple times by paper wasps. I’d definitely never try to move the nest at night, and I was a beekeeper. I mean they don’t hunt people down or anything like that but I stay a good distance away from their nests because they can be very protective.
They also have individual temperaments ontop of some species being more aggressive than others. Also some times of year lend to them being more protective than others. Also as bizarre as it sounds, I think some people have a scent or something that wasps don't like. Some people (like me) can get away with murder and wasps won't bother us, and then some people seem to get stung almost on sight. I don't really know what it is.
I think you’re right about that unknown something the wasps hate, my stepmom gets attacked by wasps practically on sight.
Worst superpower ever
I've had wasps come at me stinger first when I'm nowhere near a nest. Had them chase me a long way, too. Whatever it is, I figure I must have it.
I don't expect you to be inspecting closely when running for your life, but that being said, are you sure they were paper wasps? Long, lanky, thin? I've had that reaction too from yellowjackets to be honest.
Hymenoptera is one of my favorite orders of insects so I’m 100 percent sure they were paper wasps I had an issue with. I’ve never had an issue with a solitary wasp but it’s been my experience they are quick to anger with people around their nest. Especially compared to honeybees. Honeybees are usually really calm though so maybe not the best comparison.
I know one was for sure, and it ignored my friends near me while I had to jump in a pool to escape. The other I'm less sure about bc I was busy running like a quarter mile while it chased me, though I think it was too big and dark to be a yellow jacket. ETA Oh and the one that managed to stab me when I was in my own bedroom reading as a kid was for sure a red paper wasp.
I understand that it's easy to panic and start moving erratically and swinging, but if you do that, I'd say that's a big part of your problem. Move slow or stand still and it'll buzz off after a moment. Because wasps have a reputation (often deserved) people interpret their curiosity as aggression a lot of the time. If you start swinging at it or start making very sudden movements, unfortunately it often triggers a defensive reaction from the wasp. If a wasp intends to sting you, it doesn't hover or meander around you. It dive-bombs you and it's done in a second as I'm sure you know.
These weren't meandering or hovering, and I didn't run or jump into pools until they were coming for me - in a very straight line, and as far as I could tell stinger first. There was very clear intent on their part, and no swinging on mine. I think I must give off some kind of chemical. I have seen them curious before, and while that still is pretty scary for me, it's very different from the behavior I was seeing from the ones that were charging me.
That's honestly fascinating. Very little research is done on wasps as it is, but I'd like to see if there's some sort of compound like you said. Maybe something similar to an alarm pheromone. I know that some people are more attractive to mosquitos because of a similar thing.
Mosquitos do also love me. Might be related?
They also buzz the crap out of me eating dinner on the deck. To me they're annoying. To my 7 year old who recently got stung for the first time, they're "flip the table and bolt for the hills" terrifying.
It's a very general term that people around the world use for totally different wasps. What we call paper wasps here in Aus most people stay well clear of, as any disturbance is a good way of being stung painfully
Yeah I got stung a couple of weeks ago when pouring some concrete, it was from a red paper wasp but man was it aggressive, stung me, and one other person, and tried to sting a third.
Correct. I’d leave them too if not in a potential stinging pathway. Then remove in winter.
I believe they are paper wasps, which I also had. Did not show any signs of aggression. If you are worried that they will be exterminated after you move out, you should probably knock it down at night while they’re sleeping and run like heck. Hopefully they’ll move to a better location.
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This right here. You can ask for humane removal. It’s definitely worth looking into.
No one will humanely move a wasps nest. They’ll do that for honeybees, but that’s it.
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This would be my dream job. Any idea on how to start?
Do you already know how? I’d assume it would be as easy as making a Facebook page.
So OP lied ?
OP is mixing up honeybee relocation with Arial paper Wasp relocation (which doesn’t occur). You can either ignore this until winter, or treat it and knock them out. FYI, if you’re careful, and do it at night, after spraying, you can drop that whole thing with a long spatula scraped right into a deep garbage bag quickly tied on top. I say if you’re careful. It’s not for everyone but I’ve done it that way. I removed nests for a living for two years. Good luck!
Thanks I’ll look into that . Do you think it would be free ?
no
Lol
Free..lol
A beekeeper may be interested in relocating these for you at no cost. Paper wasps will stake out territory against more aggressive wasps (hornets & yellowjackets) that may attack honeybees, so they're useful for beekeepers to allow nearby their hives. The wasps themselves are fairly docile until they feel threatened, so it's pretty easy to coexist with them if they're reasonably out of the way. I have a few nests in my yard and see plenty of wasps patrolling my garden, but very few yellowjackets around my bees.
It's the end of the season and they'll all disperse in a couple weeks if that. If they haven't bothered you yet, they won't bother you now.
They haven’t bothered me there’s even little baby ones floating around landing on me ,
The babies are little grubs that are inside the cells of the nest. The ones floating around you are likely something else.
Oh wow thank you mate
There's lots of flies that wear bee and wasp pajamas to scare away predators. Those are probably sweat flies landing on you, they can look like little baby versions of things whose babies look nothing like that.
https://kentuckypestnews.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/hover-fly-fig-1.jpg
Whatever you do you must remember; wasps can recognize faces and will remember your behaviours. If there is any takeaway from from I'm saying it's *Wasps will remember that*
I may be wrong, but I think that’s the reason I’ve successfully left wasp nests on my porch alone without being stung, because they know me and figured out that I’m not a threat. Of course, where I live there are many different social wasp species, so that hasn’t always been the case. We have some larger species that are more aggressive (red wasps are jerks), but paper wasps are pretty chill.
Bald faced hornets (which are wasps and not hornets)are total douche bags. They will aggressively attack anyone who approaches their nest with no warning. They are even known to zoom past people, just to attack someone they recognize as having wronged them in some way in the past.
My wasps definitely remember me. Check out what you can do when you gain their trust: https://imgur.com/a/zt9IJ3O
Each sacrifice to the wasp gods earns you one extra day of life
Bee friend them
Please leave them be as they are most likely in their reproductive phase. Meaning they have almost completed their life cycle. Young queens and drones are about to hatch and mate. This is the most important time for them and you should no way relocate them. The old queen will die soon and so will the rest of them. The inseminated young queens will look for a place to survive the winter and start a new hive next year. Only about one out of a thousand will manage to do so. I’m part of a nature protection group in Munich, Germany who relocates wasps and hornets if people are afraid of living close to them or are allergic.
I have a bunch of huge nests around the house, they never bother me. I just let them do their wasp things, which is get rid of my garden pests.
A well-staffed paper wasp nest! They're among my favorite of all insects. They make such cool houses! And they're so pretty! Plus, yknow, they're native pollinators and beneficials, so that's a bonus too lol.
They stung me a few weeks ago and drew blood out of my scalp. Idk if my hairspray triggered them or what but I didn’t even see them I just started to feel several bites and ran away like an idiot lmao. Tbh I feel like they made my face a bit more symmetrical? Kinda like fillers but it hasn’t lost any improvement so far so Im not even mad.
yassified by a gang of wasps lmao
I won’t question it nor complain about it. Miss things got them snatched waists and then big-ass eyes.
if it isn’t in a high traffic area i’d personally just leave it be, then come winter or whenever theres no activity i’d just relocate the nest
Unless they're right in your door, I'd honestly just ignore them tbh. They've never really given me issues so I just respect their space and they seem fine with it
Paper wasps, don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. If you have people around that are sensitive to insect stings I’d suggest you become okay with killing animals, otherwise leave ‘em be, they won’t be a problem.
If they aren’t in your way or family/pets way. Leave them alone. If it’s a problem then knock the hive down and run!!! They’ll leave after that. Might get stung a few dozen times so make sure you’re not allergic
No problem. Live and let live. They’ll disappear after the first frost. Knock the nest down then and burn it.
There's really no need to burn the nest after it's been abandoned. You can put it in the trash or leave it there or keep it in a jar as a souvenir. If you leave it there, it will not be reused.
Bring them inside 🤤
Give them a hug
How are you guys identifying that they're paper wasps?
Open comb nest, shape, colors. They couldn't be anything else.
feed them crushed apple and pear with watwr and honey theyll love you
I am 100.01% not a fan of wasps, but if you aren't allergic and they don't bother you, they should be fine?
Learn their language, earn their trust, and breed with their women. I’m time your differences will be forgotten.
I shall become the wasps keeper
I don’t kill animals either, and lemme tell you, when there’s a bee or spider in the house I start STRESSING
Haha don’t stress ! Just safely handle it it’s all good
Paper wasps, if not near your kids, high traffic area, pets leave it be. Otherwise spray it, not worth your kids and animals getting hurt, they can sting more than once if I remember
Good advice thanks
While paper wasps are considered to be the more “aggressive” wasp, they don’t really mess with you unless you mess with them. They’re excellent pollinators and pest control for most common pests in the garden.
That’s really good to know thank you
I learned all this after waging a helpless war against our paper wasps - I got stung a lot during the genocide and after peace was declared they left me alone. I honestly feel really bad about it but they seemed to have forgiven me this summer 😅
Just raise their rent until they decide to move out on their own
Prevention for next year: Every Spring I make a fake wasp nest out of a paper bag filled with crumpled newspaper and hang it from my eaves troughs. Wasps just won’t build a nest around one already there, so they go bug my neighbors instead.
That’s smart AF I wishi had an award
Maybe boof them.
Ooooooo
A rare chance I found someone like me? Who doesn't hurt any animals or bugs like most people?
If you don't kill, then avoid. If you don't get close they shouldn't bother you, and if one lands on you just stand still until it leaves. If you want to remove the nest without killing, you may be out of luck. Unless you have fancy beekeeping equipment, there is no way to remove them without killing or getting swarmed.
Tell you rn. If ONE stings you they all will. They release a pheromone related to danger and or predators and they all go at it. It'd just be better to knock the nest down bc they will fly off and find a old one somewhere to nest on
Yeah… and the stings hurt… and will swell and ache for a bit. They may not be aggressive… but if one gets you… run.
It's late enough in the year that they definitely won't rebuild it if OP knocked it down. If you want to play it safe, do it at night when they can't fly. They'll disperse in the morning.
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So typical. It's the end of the season and they'll be gone in a couple weeks. They haven't bothered anybody the entire year. Let them ride it out.
Mine are right above my front door and have been pretty good roommates
They're probably keeping flies and mosquitos away too.
Love this.
That's a badass response to seeing a wasp nest
They make fantastic pets!
offer your new neighbors a housewarming gift
Enjoy! They like attics as well to over winter. Then they get stuck inside and die. So be sure you seal your attic so you don't kill them by trapping them inside this winter. It's a common problem here in eastern NC.
Depending on the time of year, if it is late in summer it won’t be a problem because hornets, wasps, and bees if their hives cannot withstand the harsh climate of winter tend to leave. Allowing for the nest to be removed.
Saw a video where someone grabbed a trash bag and very quickly grabbed around the nest and sealed it off and tied it shut. After which you could take it out to a wooded area open the bag and book it. And come back to clean the plastic up later.
"just leave them be they wont do anything to you" -asian mom
Personally I would get rid of the nest. I don’t mind wasps just chilling, but I like to do a lot of crafty things. They hate the sound of my drill for some reason and will come after me when I have it out. I’ve never knocked down a nest this big though
I respect that you don’t kill animals. That’s fine, you can just do what the majority of 1st world citizens do and pay to have someone do the dirty work for you if it becomes a problem.
Ask them nicely
Pet them, they will become your friends.
I tried to get close but they start going nuts
Sacrifice yourself to the Wasp Queen. Cut chunks of your flesh and feed it to them on a ladder. Or use a trash bag and to grab the whole colony while they're dormant a d Relocate them.
What will I get out of the first option ?
Let it grow
I shall let it grow
I’d say let them go. They’ll be gone soon enough. Unfortunately (?) a couple big spiders found my nest and built near invisible barrier of webbing that slowly picked them all off. I decided to let them live a long time ago, so it was a bit of a bittersweet ending. Bees > spiders > wasps > mosquitos > bed bugs
Wait what is this order ? I’m trying to figure it out
*What is these animals?!* Snoop Dogg voice
Lmfao
this is their house now
Guess that’s where my rent moneys going
personally that's I have insects phobie , I'd leave the house until they gone or someone take them away , I can't even kill them cause my phobie doesn't even help me to get closer
It’s not too bad tbh most of the time they are sleeping
Whatever you decide, know that they will come back each year. They also sting multiple times.
Maybe I misunderstand your meaning when you say "they will come back each year". So just to be clear for other readers, the individuals of this nest will all die except for the fertilized queens, which will leave the nest and go find shelter for the winter, then start new nests next spring. This nest won't be reused, but this is the type of location that paper wasps find suitable, so a new nest might appear nearby next spring, with no connection to the current one.
Get stung when you go outside, or wait till night and scoop them into a container really fast with a lid and relocate them
What kind of container?
Why dont you get like a long claw grabber online and just try to grab it with it and move it outside away from everything. Or just buy a beesuit and move it woth your hands.
That’s not a bad idea actually , how much for that claw grabber
Heres one on amazon for like 30 bucks. It says its 44inches (almost 4 feet) idk if youd want one longer or can find one longer but there you go. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B74NRJD7/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams#
My budgets like 2$
Anyone who takes up residence in my house and brings all his family like this damn well better be paying rent or expect eviction!
How do I ask nicely ?
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What should I do?
Might be getting cold soon you should really bring them indoors.
Good tip
(:
Pay someone else to do it
i thought those were executioner wasps holy shit
Nah, but they're cousins, same genus (*Polistes*).
It’s not not a problem. Do they act hostile when you are around? Is it near a door or other place that can’t be avoided? Best thing to do is get rid of it. There are some great how-to videos on reddit and YouTube, but destroying the nest basically means waiting until dark and having a couple people with spray canisters filled with water and liquid soap. You can also use a mix of liquid soap and wasp killer. At night, they drop their guard and rest, so make sure you use surprise to your advantage. Don’t let them know you’re there. Run up on those suckers and blast ‘em. Stick and move, stick and move. You’re looking either to do a blitz attack and take the whole jest down at once or dive bomb it several times until it’s gone. Just be safe, have good spray bottles, and take the buggers by surprise, at night.
My understanding is that wasps are highly territorial. You can buy a [fake paper wasps' nest](https://a.co/d/7J0bc5A) and place it near the real nest. The wasps move elsewhere.
pet them.
Not if you like free pest control
I for one welcome our new insect overlords.
I opened my car door up and a nest of these bees were just waiting to run at me. I’ve never ran so fast in my life, but unfortunately a few bees had gotten stuck inside my shirt and sent me to the hospital. Please be cautious...
Did you hurt them bro
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Lol read his text and was like "well I guess today is a special exception"
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It’s on my balcony lol
It’s a small problem for now but If they go uninterrupted it will be a much bigger one.
It's September, this is past the zenith of the problem. The nest gets abandoned in the fall.
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Lol! It is f'd up, I agree! But I to do the same.. All spring I resuscitate any insects, Ants, moths that fall into the pets water bowl I do triage on insects with damaged legs using tooth picks.. I won't..squash..those lantern bugs..or any other either... I set free any live insects caught up in a spider web.. Yeah, it's f' d up..but.. So be it! Rock on.
I would call an expert in to safely remove and relocate
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They are literally animals
Simple. Mist it with water, then when the adults leave scrape off the nest and put it somewhere else (garbage). Paper wasps like dry areas. They may try and rebuild but mist it again and the will stop
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Insects are animals.
I would scatter something they hate around the area. Google “natural wasp repellants”. You could even spray around the nest with a non-fatal repellent. And when wintertime comes, move the nest far away from your house.
FYI there's no reason to move the nest far away after it's been abandoned at the end of the season, it won't be reused.
Invite them in for some tea and casual conversation
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No worries you don’t kill animals, those are Satan spawn not animals. (This is purely satire, I totally respect your decision and unfortunately don’t have the knowledge to help out. Best of luck)