European Paper Wasp
European paper wasps were introduced to eastern North America sometime around 1980. Compared to native species, they breed faster, are more tolerant of extreme climates, are more aggressive, and are significantly less averse to building their nests on man-made structures. As a result, they have easily taken over the ecological niche for social wasps, displacing native species and spreading across the entire continent.
My house currently has 9 major nests (larger than 4″) on it and probably a dozen minor nests (less than 2″). I destroy them as I find them, but the major nests got to be major because they’re too high for me to reach with the wasp killing spray. A neighbor suggested I call an exterminator, and then laughed, suggesting that my house alone might qualify for their group rate.
Slowly getting the site back onto an even keel. It's nice to get back into the old posting rhythm.
Kazriko said,
October 2, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
Huh. A first glance at it screams “Yellowjacket” to me. I think I can see the difference now that I’ve looked at side by side pictures.
David Brady said,
October 2, 2007 @ 10:37 pm
Indeed. The European Paper Wasp looks VERY much like a yellowjacket, and I mistook them often before doing a ton of research. The biggest difference, which you cannot see here, is the kind of nest they make. Looking at a specimen, however, yellowjackets tend to be fatter and lay their wings back more when not flying.
I notice also that EPW’s have yellow antennae while yellowjackets have black antennae, but as I haven’t read this anywhere official I suspect that this may just be a trait common to the ones near my home.
Alex said,
October 4, 2007 @ 8:05 am
I. Hate. Wasps.
David Brady said,
October 4, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
Hehee! I can certainly understand. I like solitary wasps like mud daubers because they’re quite shy, but I have to admit that solitary wasps don’t apply sufficient predatory force to other pests bugs in my garden. Social wasps do provide such a predatory force, and as long as you don’t get close to their nest they’re usually content to leave humans alone.
That said? I kill EPW nests every chance I get.
Solarn said,
October 5, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
Wasps are cool. I’ve seen a few kinds that live in Europe, social and solitary alike and as long as I don’t bug them, they don’t bug me. They sometimes land on me then leave after a while when they realize I’m not edible. And they kill yucky things that I hate, which is always a plus.
Also, this is an awesome blog.
Gerard said,
October 6, 2007 @ 1:58 am
German Wasps are a serious pest down here in .nz; we’ve had them a bit longer than you, and they’re even more menacing
* they eat pollen and nectar, depriving native birds and insects of food
* they also eat honey-dew which has very serious impact on several native birds, which previously relied on this food source (in extreme examples, some species no longer lay eggs because the wasps ate all their food!)
* best of all, the New Zealand climate is often not harsh enough to kill them off over winter, meaning a single nest can survive and grow bigger each year. A single nest over two metres (umm.. 7 feet?) in diameter and about the same high is not unheard of.
Plus they are mighty aggressive, especially in late Summer. If you start getting buzzed by a group of them while hiking, it’s recommended to just retreat the way you came; trying to detour “around” them may actually lead you closer to the nest and subsequent pain.
Horrid creatures, even for the otherwise adorable creepy-crawly group insectia.
Gerhard said,
October 7, 2007 @ 3:50 am
I like bugs. Every time my wife goes “Eeeeek!!! Spider, kill it!” I patiently scopp the poor critter up, and rehouse it to a safer environ. I have been known to refuse to close my car doot, because of a certain dragonfly having a rest on the door frame.
That said, the absolute best treatment for the hyper aggressive type colony wasps is WD-40 (aerosol machine oil) combined with one of those little torch lighters. Without wings, they cannot fly and go crunch under your boot. Also tends to burn up the paper wasps nest very well.
I AM IN NO WAY SUGGESTING ANYONE ELSE TRY THIS, IT IS DANGEROUS! The can could blow up, the wasps could sting the hell out of you. Etc…
David Brady said,
October 7, 2007 @ 10:23 am
…your house could burn down…
I’m just sayin’. Please note that my objection to this technique is not based on the wasps’ experience.
I will say that I may try your technique anyway. It sounds… immensely satisfying.
Nomen Nescio said,
October 7, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
it is indeed satisfying, but keep in mind they’re not called paper wasps for nothing; those nests make pretty good tinder. possibly too good, if you’re not careful.
Matthew Daye said,
October 9, 2007 @ 8:33 am
We get wasps from time to time. I find them cool but I need to remove them immediately as I’m quite illergic to their stings. Last year, a large nest, roughly the size of a football, was made in one of our crab apple trees. We needed to remove it but the rest of my family kept procrastinating so i had to do the job myself.
I got dressed in a hooded sweat shirt, a winter mask, some work gloves and jeans (in 30 c summer weather). I got one of the 20 old ski poles from the garage and speared some news paper onto it and took it and the hose back to where then nest was. I lit the paper on fire and applied it to the nest, while having the hose handy to deal with any fire that wasn’t on the nest as well as to ward the bugs away.
The nest burnt and those that didn’t drop from the smoke/fire/water jet flew away. A few days later, a second nest appeared in the lilac tree right next to the crab apple tree. I repeated the process, though I didn’t bother getting as heavily dressed as none went near me the last time. It worked with no stings.
A week later, the nest was back in the original tree a branch higher than the first time. I repeated the process again, however I used an entire news paper(instead of just a few sheets like i did before) and applied a liberal dose of lighter fluid, to make it a very fast and very hot fire. This time instead of spearing the side with the mild flame to burn the nest, I held the fireball-on-a-stick immediately under the entry hole, and basically didn’t let any of them escape. I was fine with them escaping at first, but they didn’t learn there lesson that it wasn’t a good territory so this was the third strike. Haven’t had any more wasps since.
tceisele said,
October 19, 2007 @ 6:17 am
Regarding your note above, “I notice also that EPW’s have yellow antennae while yellowjackets have black antennae, but as I haven’t read this anywhere official”, their info page on BugGuide gives this as a key identifying feature, so you are correct.