What is this hanging in my tree? - Ask Extension
While raking in my yard, I saw something I assumed was a leaf or leaves near the end of a branch high in the tree.. But then I realized over several d...
Knowledgebase
What is this hanging in my tree? #922143
Asked November 18, 2025, 10:46 PM EST
While raking in my yard, I saw something I assumed was a leaf or leaves near the end of a branch high in the tree.. But then I realized over several days it never came down. I looked at it through binoculars, and it appears to be possibly made of mud and some sort of nest. It is on a branch roughly at about the middle level of our second floor. I tried to find a photo something similar online, and I think it may be a wasp nest. Can you help identify it? Is it concerning? Should I try to remove it or have it removed?
Washtenaw County Michigan
Expert Response
That is a wasp nest made out of layers of macerated wood pulp with a paper-like consistency. The most common wasp that makes a nest like this in Michigan is the bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata). They are not technically hornets (Genus Vespa spp.), but aerial yellowjacket wasps. They are social wasps that abandon the nest at the end of the growing season. Any remaining wasps within the nest will die with the onset of cold weather this winter. They will not reuse the nest next year. The presence of the nest does not harm the tree and it is up to you whether you choose to remove it. You can read more about these and other wasps in this article from MSU Extension: Getting Rid of Wasps Nests (https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/getting_rid_of_wasps_nests)
