Paper Wasp Nests Near the House, Their Stings and When to Call

Are paper wasps aggressive?

The Missouri Department of Conservation adds that the workers defend the nest and can sting if they sense it is under attack.

A paper wasp may warn you first. The University of Maryland Extension page on social wasps says a paper wasp may deliberately bump into an intruder before it resorts to stinging. A wasp bumping your face near the porch light is a signal to back away slowly, not to swat, because a swatted or trapped wasp is a wasp that stings.

The ones Collin County homeowners most often ask about are the reddish brown paper wasps that people call red wasps. Penn State Extension notes that many native paper wasps are dark, in blacks, browns and dark reds. The paper wasp page in our pest library shows what they look like up close.

Are paper wasps dangerous?

A paper wasp can sting more than once, because wasp stingers have no barbs, so repeated stings at a disturbed nest are the bigger worry.

Multiple stings at once carry a risk of their own. The University of California explains that a large dose of venom from multiple stings can damage the body’s tissues and clog the kidneys days after the stings, and that anyone stung many times at once should talk to a doctor and be watched for a week or two. A nest over a back door, in a mailbox or inside a play set puts children and pets right next to it, which is why those are the nests worth taking down.

How long does a wasp sting last?

A person stung by the same kind of wasp before can swell much more, sometimes across a large part of the body.

An allergic reaction runs on its own clock. The University of California page on bee and wasp stings says symptoms can start right after the sting or up to 30 minutes later and may last for hours. Hives, nausea and headaches can be part of it, while dizziness, trouble breathing or swelling in the throat need emergency care at once.

What to do after a paper wasp sting

1. Move away from the nest first, so the other wasps do not keep stinging.
2. Wash the sting before treating it, as the University of California advises.
3. Hold a cold compress on the spot to ease the pain.
4. Use an antihistamine for the itching and swelling if it is safe for you, and try not to scratch, since that can let germs into the wound.
5. Get medical help at once for a sting on the neck or in the mouth, or for severe symptoms such as dizziness, trouble breathing or swelling in the throat. Milder signs such as hives are worth a call to a doctor, and so are many stings at one time, even if you feel fine. Anyone who knows they are allergic should carry the epinephrine their doctor prescribed.

Paper wasp or yellowjacket, told apart

Both nest around Collin County homes, and the difference decides how careful you need to be. These details come from the University of California, Penn State Extension and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

A paper wasp nest has open cells you can see from below, where a yellowjacket nest is wrapped in a paper cover.

15 to 200 wasps live in a paper wasp nest, which rarely grows bigger than an outstretched hand Source: University of California, Yellowjackets and Other Social Wasps

Yellowjackets are the ones that show up at outdoor meals and trash cans, and the yellowjacket page in our pest library covers them. Our article on why wasps love fruit trees covers the wasps that go after ripe fruit.

When do paper wasps start building nests?

Penn State Extension says a European paper wasp queen works alone at first, so her early nest is only a small cluster of cells on a short stalk and is easier to remove before workers hatch.

The University of California says that knocking down a newly started paper wasp nest early in the season makes the founding female go elsewhere to start again. The catch is that a new nest is hard to spot until summer, once it has grown. Penn State lists some of the odd places European paper wasps build, including outdoor light fixtures and gas grills that sit unused for a while.

Do paper wasps die in winter?

That is why a single wasp can be seen flying on a warm winter day, and why last year’s nest is very rarely used again.

A nest that is out of the way can simply be left to run its course. The Missouri Department of Conservation page on paper wasps notes that they feed caterpillars to their young, many of them garden pests, and the University of Maryland says a nest stops being a threat after the first hard frost.

How to get rid of a paper wasp nest

1. Decide whether it has to go. The University of California says a paper wasp nest should not need treatment unless it is near people, so a nest on the back fence or a high eave can be left until the frost.
2. Take down new nests early in spring, while the queen is alone and the nest is only a small cluster of cells.
3. For a grown nest, use only a product labeled for wasp and hornet nests and follow the label. Wear clothing that covers the whole body, gloves, eye protection and a veil, and remember that stings are still likely even at night, when the wasps are home.
4. Never try fire, water or other home remedies on a nest. The University of Maryland warns they raise the risk of stings as the angry wasps escape.
5. Call a professional for a nest over a door, inside a wall, in a play set or out of reach, or for anyone in the house who is allergic to stings.

How Pest Me Off handles paper wasps

Pest Me Off’s wasp control starts by confirming which wasp built the nest, because a paper wasp comb, a mud dauber tube and a yellowjacket nest in a wall each need a different answer. A technician treats and removes the paper wasp nests near doors, windows, porches, play sets, grills and garages, the places where people and wasps keep running into each other, and checks the eaves and deck rails for the small new nests that are easy to miss.

Quarterly visits keep the eaves clear as queens start nests in spring and the nests grow through summer. Same-day service is available for McKinney and the surrounding cities when you call before noon, with no-contract options.