Paper Wasp Nest Removal Nassau County Long Island

Paper wasps are also known as umbrella wasps due to the unique design of their nests. Paper wasps usually measure 3/4 to 1 inch in length, are narrow-waisted, and have smoky black wings. Paper wasps are generally reddish-brown with yellow markings on their head and thorax and yellow rings around their abdomen. They are voracious predators of several residential and agricultural pests. Paper wasp colonies are most valuable close to vegetable gardens, where they provide control of herbivorous caterpillars. There are twenty-two species of paper wasps in North America.

Paper Wasp Nests; The gray, papery nests of paper wasps are built using wood fibers and contain open combs with cells for brood rearing and a petiole that anchors the nest. Paper wasps secrete a chemical ant repellent, which they spread around the base of the anchor stalk to prevent ants from feeding on the wasp eggs or larvae. The paper wasp nest resembles an upside-down umbrella and is commonly found in sheltered areas, such as the eaves of a Long Island home.

Paper Wasp Life Cycle & Reproduction - Long Island, New York

Paper wasps are social insects, and their colonies contain three castes: workers, queens, and males (drones). A hibernating fertilized paper wasp queen will emerge in the spring and construct a nest using chewed wood pulp. The queen wasp will lay eggs in the cells of the nest, which will hatch and develop into female worker wasps. The worker wasps will forage for food, while the queen restricts herself to laying eggs. Workers feed the wasp larvae pre-chewed caterpillars, while the adult wasps feed on nectar. However, European paper wasps will feed on several genera of insects versus mainly caterpillars giving them superior survival ability compared to other wasp species during a shortage of food resources. As fall approaches, paper wasp colonies produce drones and new queens, which leave the nest to mate. Paper wasps have a lek-based mating system. Mated queens will seek out places to hibernate over the winter. The remainder of the wasp colony, including the workers, drones, and old queen die off as winter approaches.

Paper Wasp Management - Nassau County, New York

Unlike yellow-jackets and hornets, which can be extremely aggressive, paper wasps will, in most cases, only attack if they or their nest is threatened. The territorial nature of the paper wasp can lead to attacks on humans. Because their stings are extremely painful and can produce a potentially lethal anaphylactic reaction in some people, nests in human-inhabited areas may present an unacceptable danger. Therefore, you need to contact the wasp nest removal experts at Nassau County Bee Removal.

Paper Wasp Nest Removal Nassau County, Long Island