Knowledgebase
Paper Wasp nests #880406
Asked August 06, 2024, 1:49 PM EDT
We have 3 or 4 paper was nests on our fence. This morning we noticed that the actual nests are gone and in some locations we see a single wasp and in others we see quite a number.
Have the larva hatched so-to-speak? Are the wasps we see "hanging around" the new adults? Will they start over again building nests or is it too late in the year?
As winter approaches we plan to hose off the fence and clean out remaining nests, webs, leaves, cicada carcasses etc. However we do not want to do this too soon as we are not trying to kill anything.
Thank you in advance for any additional information you can provide!
Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello Ben,
Thank you for reaching out to Ask Extension with your questions about paper wasps.
Can you send pictures of these nests and of the wasps you are seeing? It sounds like you might have European Paper Wasps which are an invasive species, although we do have some native paper wasps too, so its always good to get an accurate ID on what you are dealing with.
Take a look at the following factsheet and see if these are what you have:
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/european-paper-wasp-5-611/
This time of year, the queen is still laying eggs, although not as many and by end of summer she is only producing males for mating, before winter. The nests you are seeing this year will be abondoned in the fall/winter. Paper wasps do not return to old nests, and in the spring emerging queens build new nests. So you will be fine removing those nests this winter.
I hope this helps,
Dawn
