Hi Mira and thanks for your thoughtful question about whether or not to remove a wasp nest. The general rule of thumb is to decide whether you will need to disturb it, either by hand watering or by walking close to it. Also, does anyone in your family have serious allergies to bee stings? All of these are reasons to either remove the wasp or call an exterminator to do it.

If you decide to do it yourself, use a long distance aerosol labeled for yellow jackets and do it at night! You might also want to look closely at the wasps going in and out and see if they might be black and white. These Bald Faced Hornets are very gentle, but the sting is very, very painful!

Here is an article to help you decide what you have and what to do about it. If you decide to let it stay for the rest of the summer, (all wasps except the queen die in the winter), you might just put a sign warning others to keep back from the active critters.

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/pollinators/yellow-jackets
Thanks for checking out the options!

Thank you for this helpful reply.