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Paper wasps

Polistes spp.

Jeff Hahn, University of Minnesota Extension

Jeff Hahn, University of Minnesota Extension

Description: 5/8 - 3/4 inch long (queens, sometimes from late summer to spring, are a little larger). Slender wasps; generally black with yellow stripes; smooth body with few hairs.

Where/When: Paper wasps can nest on or around homes. They are active from spring until fall. They may enter homes in search of overwintering sites.

Significance: They are a potential health problem because of their ability to sting. Occupants of nests do not survive freezing temperatures and nest are not reused.

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