Wasps build nests in diverse environments, with different species choosing locations that offer protection and resources.
Common Above-Ground Nests
Many wasp species build visible, elevated nests, often utilizing human structures or natural elements. These above-ground nests are frequently found under the eaves and overhangs of buildings, offering protection from rain and direct sunlight. Paper wasps, for instance, commonly attach their umbrella-shaped nests to porch ceilings, window ledges, and attic rafters.
Other common sites for aerial nests include sheds, garages, and other outbuildings, where wasps find undisturbed spaces like roof rafters and ceiling joists. Wasps also build nests within trees and dense shrubs, using the foliage for concealment. Bald-faced hornets, a type of yellowjacket, construct large, spherical nests that can reach the size of a football or basketball, typically hanging from tree branches or utility poles.
Hidden and Underground Nests
Some wasp species prefer concealed or subterranean nesting sites, making their nests less obvious until activity increases. Yellowjackets, for example, are known for building nests underground, often utilizing abandoned rodent burrows or other soil cavities. These ground nests are typically marked by a small hole in the dirt, through which wasps enter and exit. The nest itself can be quite large and multi-tiered beneath the surface.
Wasps can also establish hidden nests within structural voids of homes and other buildings. Common concealed locations include wall voids, attics, and spaces behind siding. Chimneys and hollow logs also provide suitable protected environments for certain wasp species. Mud daubers, a solitary wasp type, create their unique tubular nests in sheltered, often overlooked areas like porch ceilings, sheds, and attics.
Identifying Nests by Appearance
Wasp nests vary significantly in appearance, materials, and structure, depending on the species that built them. Paper wasp nests are characterized by an open, umbrella or inverted cone shape, revealing hexagonal cells from below. These nests are typically gray and papery, attached to a single stalk, and can range from a few cells to several hundred.
Yellowjacket nests are enclosed within a papery outer layer, often spherical or oval, and may be gray or brownish. Unlike paper wasp nests, the internal hexagonal cells of a yellowjacket nest are not typically visible from the outside, with only a small entrance hole present. Mud dauber nests are distinct, constructed from mud or clay, and often appear as cylindrical tubes or organ-pipe-like structures attached to surfaces. Some mud dauber nests might also look like irregular, lumpy masses of mud.