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Facts on Paper Hornets

Paper hornets are best termed paper wasps and are small insects ranging in length from 3/4- to 1-inch. These wasps possess a narrow waist and smoky black wings which are folded lengthwise when not in use. Paper wasps are typically brown, reddish-brown or orange, but coloration depends on the species. These wasps, which appear to have a hairless, smooth skin, construct nests with open cells in protected areas.

Nest Building
- Paper wasp colonies consist of queens, males and workers. The queen looks for a protected nest site during early spring then begins to construct a nest. The queen may opt for cracks in buildings, playground equipment, trees or rocks. She constructs the nest of saliva and wood fiber, which is obtained from living plants and wooden posts. Queens build their nests by forming a single hexagonal paper-like cell at a time, and large nests contain up to 200 cells.
New Colonies
- The queen lays a single egg in each cell. Sterile worker wasps assist with nest construction after they pupate. These workers also defend the nest and feed younger wasps. The queen ceases egg laying by late summer, at which time there are typically between 20 and 30 mature wasps in the colony. The original queen and other mated females leave the nest during the fall to seek protected areas in which to spend winter. These queens will begin new colonies the following spring. The paper wasps that remain at the nest site succumb to the winter cold.
Diet
- Paper wasps hunt other insects and eat mainly beetle larvae, flies and caterpillars. Wasps will normally bring beetle larvae back to the nest to feed the wasp larvae. Paper wasps are diurnal, or day hunters, and return to the nest at dusk. These wasps use their jaws and legs to subdue their prey. Paper wasps do not sting their prey, as other wasp species do.
The Need for Precaution
- Paper wasps are beneficial because they prey on insects, such as flies and caterpillars, that gardeners consider to be pests. Paper wasps frequently build their nests in and around human dwellings though, and attack if they consider their nest to be in danger. These insects sting repeatedly without dying, as bees do, and people who are allergic to wasp stings can die from these attacks. In most cases, the sting only causes localized swelling and pain. Only female paper wasps are capable of stinging, as they use their modified ovipositor, or egg-laying structure, as a means of delivering the sting.

Insects & Science