While out on a walk the other day, I came across part of a paper wasps nest in the roadway.
Paper Wasps Facts
Paper wasps get their name from the paper-like nests they build. The brown and yellow wasps chew bits of wood which mixes with their saliva to form a paste. The paste is then carefully applied by the wasps to the nest structure to form layers.
When colder weather arrives, the paper wasps die out. The queens survives to establish new colonies in warmer weather.
Paper Wasps Nests
Paper wasps only use a nest once. The paper wasp’s nests have hexagonal shaped cells for raising their young which is a very efficient use of the space in their nests.
The below photograph shows part of the paper wasp nest in the street near my house.
Removing a Paper Wasp Nest from a Site
Seeing this nest brought back a memory of the time we had a paper wasp nest in our tall maple tree.
An exterminator came to remove the nest, but it would have been extremely expensive to take it down because they had to rent special equipment. It was well into fall, so the paper wasps were only going to live for about a week or two more.
Unfortunately, as things would go, a strong wind overnight knocked the paper wasp nest out of the tree. It fell right next to the school bus stop so we had to do something about it as it still contained a few live paper wasps.
I went out and carefully placed a large trash can over the wasp nest. We had an elaborate plan using a rope/pully system, a car to destroy what was left of the paper wasp nest, and wasp spray.
It took two people to execute our wasp nest removal plan. The first part of our plan was to tie a rope around the trash can from my lookout point near the front door. On a given signal, the trash went around the mail box post and the paper wasp nest went into the street. Then, I would duck back into the house.
Then the second part of the plan went into action, a person in the car would run the nest over.
Things worked out according the the plan, the car ran over the wasp nest several times and, best of all, neither one of us got stung.
The third stage of the plan, was to spray the remaining nest with wasp spray. However, at this point, the nest was flat and no paper wasps could be seen.
Ground Wasp Sting
Once four ground wasps near my front door strung me, so I wasn’t taking any chances.
The below photograph shows one of my ground wasps stings on the back of my leg. When attacked, I ran into the house, jumped into the shower with all my clothing on to get the aggressive wasps off me.
Although I didn’t go to the doctor for this wasp sting, it was extremely painful and long lasting.
Ending Remarks
I read that paper wasps are beneficial pollinators and also help with garden pest control.
However, all wasps please stay away from building nests around my front door or the nearby school bus stop.
I’ve got a trash can and fast car, and I’m not afraid to use them.
Wikipedia, Scienceonline, and buzzabout bees.net online sites were used to research today’s topic.