Community ClicksPests or beneficial insects?
You decide.
Some people believe yellowjackets, paper wasps and hornets are pests and make no beneficial contribution to the environment. In reality, they are voracious consumers of flies, aphids, caterpillars and other insects that damage trees and crops. Because yellowjackets, paper wasps and hornets live in colonies, they are considered social wasps.
This does not mean they are friendly or want to share their environment with you. They will mobilize the whole nest and attack aggressively if they perceive a threat to the nest. A nest located near your front door, an outdoor eating area or a play area can be a danger to both people and pets. Just walking through an area when wasps are active can result in a painful sting.
What’s the life cycle of social wasps? Nests are abandoned after the first frost and only queens overwinter in protected spaces such as rock cracks, under bark or underground. In the warm days of spring, queens emerge, build a nest with only a few cells and lay one egg in each cell. Two to 3 days later the eggs hatch.
The queen feeds chewed-up insects to the larvae for about 18 days. Fully-grown larvae spin caps over their cells and pupate, emerging as infertile adult females (called workers) in about 12 days. The queen remains in the nest depositing eggs, while workers forage, feed the larvae and enlarge the nest.
In fall, new queens and males are produced; when they become adults, they mate. As the nest is abandoned, males and workers die and queens overwinter to begin the cycle anew in spring.
Yellowjackets (Vespula species) look shiny and smooth with bright yellow and black markings on their head, thorax, abdomen and legs. They are stout and carry their legs close to their body in flight. They build paper-covered nests in the ground, wall cavities and tree branches.
Yellowjackets are scavengers as well as insect eaters, so you are likely to find them attending your family barbecue.
Paper wasps (Polistes species) are marked similar to yellowjackets but have a more slender body with a “tiny waist” and longer legs that extend down when in flight. Their nests look like an upside down cone attached by a stem. Paper wasps tend to be less aggressive than yellowjackets or hornets.
Hornets (Vespa species) are primarily black with some white on the face, first antennae segment and tip of the posterior abdomen.
Nests can be basketball-size by summer’s end and can be found in hollow trees and low shrubs and attached to buildings. A thin, easily-torn papery envelope covers the nest.
Even though social wasps can become pests, they are highly beneficial and should be controlled only if their stings present a hazard. If the nest must be destroyed, contact a commercial pest remover who has the right clothing, equipment and experience to deal with angry, flying wasps! If you are thinking of doing the job yourself, be prepared and careful! (See sidebar.) If you are allergic to wasp stings, call the professionals!
Judy English is a certified WSU Clallam County Master Gardener.
For more gardening information, attend the Green Thumbs Garden Tips Brown Bag Series at the
Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St. in Port Angeles.
These free educational events are held at noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
On Aug. 24, entomologist Norm Reese will be talking about insect pests.
Tips for destroying a wasp nest
If you choose to destroy a nest yourself BE PREPARED:
<<< Identify the wasp.
<<< Purchase the appropriate pesticide and follow label directions.
<<< Undertake control efforts at night or during cooler weather when wasps are less active.
<<< Wear thick garments that stingers cannot penetrate.
<<< Wear face covering that wasps cannot get under.
<<< Tape clothing intersections (between cuffs and gloves, pant legs and boot tops) to keep wasps from getting between clothing and skin.
<<< Wear enclosed goggles to protect eyes.
<<< Avoid using a ladder from which you can fall when the wasps swarm!
For more details about the control of yellowjackets and paper wasps, visit http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb0643/eb0643PrinterFriendly.pdf.
