Wasp nests serve as the protective home for a wasp colony, housing the queen, eggs, and larvae. Different wasp species construct varying types of nests, demonstrating diversity in their appearance and structure. These constructions are essential for colony survival and growth.
General Appearance of Wasp Nests
Wasp nests are typically made from a paper-like material. Wasps chew wood fibers from sources such as dead wood, plant stems, or even cardboard, mixing them with saliva to create a soft pulp. This pulp forms the nest structure, hardening as it dries. The material gives the nests a papery, often irregular texture, and they commonly appear in shades of gray, brown, or off-white, depending on the wood source. Internally, many wasp nests feature hexagonal cells, a design that efficiently uses space and materials for rearing young.
Distinctive Nests of Common Wasp Species
Wasp nest features vary significantly among common species, reflecting their unique building strategies.
Paper Wasps (Polistes species)
Paper wasp nests are umbrella-shaped, characterized by open, exposed hexagonal cells. These nests typically hang from a single stalk, or petiole, which attaches them to a sheltered surface. The cells are visible from below, and the nest has a papery, gray exterior. Mature nests can contain up to 200 cells.
Yellow Jackets (Vespula and Dolichovespula species)
Yellow jacket nests are generally enclosed and multi-layered, made from a papery material that can be gray or brown with a wavy texture. Unlike paper wasp nests, they often have a single, small entrance hole. These nests can grow quite large, some reaching the size of a basketball by the end of the season. Their internal structure consists of multiple horizontal tiers of combs.
Hornets (Vespa species, including European Hornets and Bald-faced Hornets)
Hornet nests are typically large, encased in a thick, papery envelope, and can be football or teardrop-shaped. Bald-faced hornet nests are spherical and gray, often growing up to two feet in diameter. They feature several internal tiers of hexagonal cells surrounded by a layered outer shell, with a single opening at the bottom. European hornet nests, while also papery and multi-combed, are often built in concealed spaces and can have a more irregular shape, conforming to the cavity they occupy.
Where Wasp Nests Are Found
Nest location often provides clues about the species that constructed it.
Paper wasps build umbrella-shaped nests in exposed but sheltered areas. Common sites include under eaves, porch ceilings, window frames, and tree or shrub branches. They may also construct nests in attics, behind shutters, or inside light fixtures.
Yellow jackets prefer hidden locations for their enclosed nests. Many species build underground, often utilizing abandoned rodent burrows or soil cavities. They can also be found in wall voids, hollow trees, dense bushes, attics, or sheds.
Hornets typically build large, aerial nests. Bald-faced hornets frequently suspend their football-shaped nests from high tree branches, thick shrubs, or under building eaves and roofs. European hornets often choose enclosed, dark spaces such as hollow trees, wall voids, attics, or sheds. Some hornet species may also establish nests in underground cavities.
Differentiating Wasp Nests from Other Nests
Distinguishing wasp nests from other insect nests, particularly bee nests, involves observing key visual characteristics.
Wasp nests are primarily composed of chewed wood fibers mixed with saliva, giving them a distinct papery texture. In contrast, honeybee nests, or honeycombs, are constructed from wax, which gives them a smoother, more uniform appearance. Bee nests typically consist of open hexagonal cells used for honey storage and brood rearing, often lacking an outer covering found in many wasp nests.
Mud dauber wasps create nests that are visually very different from the paper nests of social wasps. These nests are made of mud or clay, forming tube-like structures that can resemble organ pipes. Unlike paper wasp or hornet nests, mud dauber nests are typically individual tubes or a series of tubes, and they are built by solitary wasps rather than large colonies. The material and structure of these mud nests make them easily distinguishable from the papery constructions of other wasp species.