These are common insects around the home, will generally stay outside and are
not aggressive in nature but are dangerous to man as some species have the
ability to cause painful stings. They can also be very bothersome to homeowners
for these reasons:
They may build nests in, on or around the home; nests of paper-like material
(called "carton" which is a mixture of wood fibers and salivary secretions from
the females)
Because these may be visible nests, the homeowner may rightfully be concerned
regarding stings (multiple stings can be life threatening to some people)
Some of these insects are social and some are solitary
SOCIAL:
- develop as a family unit with one queen that remains with her eggs and feeding
her young; social wasps belong to the family Vespidae and include hornets,
YELLOW JACKETS, and paper wasps; bees are also social
SOLITARY:
- single females build nests or burrows; these wasps belong to the family
Sphecidae and include mud daubers, digger waves and cicada killers
*All species undergo complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, and adult)*
PAPER WASPS:
**Blackish (or brown) with yellow (or orange) markings**
- have simple nests usually one layer of cells that point downwards, are open (called "comb"), can be found under horizontal surfaces (i.e. eaves, porch roofs, window ledges, and these nests are usually quite small
MUD DAUBER WASP:
**Black and yellow; resemble large hornet**
- rarely sting people
NESTS:
- nests have no"carton", they are made from mud
- nests can be found among rafters in attics where they are plastered to the
underside of roof or other structural timbers
**If the mud nests have holes in them, this means the wasps have completed their life cycle and have left.**
**Black with pale yellow markings on the last three abdominal segments; large (as much as 1 1/2" long)**
Called "cicada killers" because they use cicadas (sometimes called "locusts") to
feed their young (larva); one or two cicadas are placed into burrow and then
female deposits one egg
Full grown larvae hibernate in burrows, pupate in the spring and emerge as
adults the next summer
May be frightening to some because of their size and population
They sting only when strongly provoked or handled
Females excavate large burrows (1/2'' diameter); piles of soil may appear at
opening - one egg per burrow - burrows can cause some lawn damage.
