Queen paper wasps lay a single egg per
nest cell. The
newly hatched paper wasp larva is white and leg- less.
As it grows in size, it fills the nest cell. The queen,
and later the workers, bring food to the larva. Eventually,
the larva matures, the cell is closed and pupation
occurs. After pupation, the adult wasp emerges
by chewing through the paper cell cover. During
late summer and fall, males and queen paper
wasps are produced. Males and females mate in the
fall. The males then die, and fertilized queens enter
sheltered locations for hibernation. Overwintering
paper wasp queens may join togeth- er,
sometimes in large groups. They seem to prefer high
structures, such as the peaked attics of houses, chimneys
and tall buildings. During the winter, they frequently
enter homes and offices, especially during warmer
periods. Overwintering paper wasps are not aggressive
and may be captured and released out- doors
or killed with a fly swatter. Control. Aerial
nests of paper wasps can easily be eliminated
using rapid knock-down insecticides or aerosol
products specifically designed for this pur- pose.
Wasp sprays frequently contain the insecticides pyrethrins,
resmethrin, tetramethrin, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin,
lambda-cyhalothrin or permethrin. Products
containing carbaryl, acephate and dichlorvos are
also available for treating wasp colonies. Some aerosol
containers will propel the insecticide 10 to 40 feet
or more. For
best results, treat in the late evening when most
wasps have returned to the nest. When spray- ing,
stand well away from the colony and soak the nest
thoroughly. Do not remove the nest until all the wasps
are dead, which may require up to 2 days. Then
the nest should be removed and discarded. Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets are easily recognized
but are often confused
with paper wasps. Baldfaced hornets are also
a type of yellowjacket wasp, but because of some behavioral
differences, they will be discussed sepa- rately.
Worker yellowjackets
construct their nests of a paper-like
material consisting of wood fiber. Unlike paper
wasp nests, they are completely enclosed in an envelope
except for the entrance hole. In Texas, south- ern
yellowjacket nest size may vary from
a few inches to 6 feet or larger, and
nests may contain up to 45 levels of
combs and 20,000 adult workers. Yellowjackets
are primarily ground nesters,
but they also construct aerial nests.
Subterranean nests may be found
in gardens, flower beds, pas- tures,
roadside embankments and else- where.
Aerial nests are typically con- structed
in trees, under eaves, in wall voids
of buildings, in open garages and storage sheds, on
porches, in abandoned furniture and in other places
that provide protection and are close to food and
water. Because of their scavenging behavior, yel- lowjackets
are a menace around parks, camps and suburban
sites where people leave open food and dis- card
garbage. Yellowjacket
workers forage to feed their larvae insects
and spiders. They also gather nectar, honey- dew
and other carbohydrates, but they do not store honey
as do bees. Colony
founding. Yellowjacket queens overwinter
under loose bark, in cracks and crevices
and occasion- ally
in attics or similar sheltered locations. They emerge
during the early spring and build small paper nests
in which they lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, the
queens feed the young larvae for about 18 to 20 days.
After the first brood of workers emerge, the nest may
rapidly expand up to a foot long or larger within a
few days or weeks. Maximum colony size is attained
by August or September. This is followed by the
emergence of males and next year’s queens in October
and November. After mating, the males die and
inseminated queens usually seek sheltered places to
overwinter, abandoning the nest. Abandoned nests rapidly
decompose and are not reused the next year. Occasionally,
in sheltered sites or during mild win- ters,
the nest may not be abandoned. In such cases, so-called
perennial colonies may be maintained by both
queen(s) and workers into the following year. Perennial
colonies are generally larger than annual colonies.
Control. If
not too close to areas of human activity, yellowjacket
nests should be left alone and the area marked
with a warning sign. In late fall or early win- ter,
after the first hard
frost, most yellowjacket
nests die; abandoned
nests can be plugged
up (with or without
treat- ment) to
prevent further
infesta- tions
next year. 3
Yellowjacket nest and yellowjacket
work- ers (Vespuls
squamosa) at entrance hole.
(Photo – Garland McIlveen)
