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Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What insect is this? > Insects found indoors > Winged Insects - 1/2 inch and greater > Bird-nest wasps

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Bird-nest wasps

Isodontia spp.

Bird nest wasp

Jeff Hahn, University of Minnesota Extension


Description: 1/2 - 3/4 inch long. Slender black wasps; smooth bodies with few hairs.

Where/When: Bird-nest wasps are associated with window cases, constructing nests made with grass. Nests are provisioned with katydids or crickets. They are active mid-summer to fall. Their nests may also be noticed during winter.

Significance: They are only a nuisance. They do not harm people or damage windows. They do not necessarily come back to nest in the same site the following year.

More information on Bird-nest wasps

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