Learn how you and your loved ones can enjoy a lifestyle free from the nuisance of stinging insects like paper wasps.
If you’re someone who enjoys spending time outdoors — entertaining, gardening, yardwork, and the like — then you know that pests can be quite a nuisance and that they tend to appear when it’s least convenient for you.

What are paper wasps?

One of the more concerning pests is the paper wasp, a flying, stinging insect most easily identified by its distinctive pattern of black and yellow stripes and coloring across its abdomen, thorax, and head. Similar in appearance and often confused with yellow jackets and hornets, the paper wasp is slightly shorter and thinner than these other, typically more aggressive members of the wasp family.

Why are they called paper wasps?

The paper wasp gets its name from the way in which they build their nests. The insects will combine their own saliva with plant matter in order to create a building material that, upon drying, takes on a paper-like quality. These nests, which can sometimes house as many as 200 paper wasps, consist of a queen, males (or drones), and female worker wasps. The workers are responsible for the creation, maintenance, and protection of the nest and colony, as well as the procurement of food, which primarily consists of plant nectar, as well as caterpillars, beetle larvae, flies, and other garden pests. Queens are solely responsible for mating, laying eggs, and expanding the colony. Drones exist only to mate with the queen, and die shortly thereafter.

Where are paper wasp’s nests found?

Paper wasps will build their nests on the eaves of roofs, window ledges, and porch roofs, making many of our most-used outdoor areas near our homes susceptible to a paper wasp infestation. While the paper wasp is known to be less aggressive than the hornet and especially less aggressive than yellow jackets, if paper wasps sense that their nest is being threatened, they will protect their colony by stinging, and can do so repeatedly.

Are paper wasps harmful?

If you or a loved one is stung by a paper wasp (or any other stinging insect) and are experiencing an allergic reaction — swelling, hives, itchiness, difficulty breathing, and other anaphylaxis-related symptoms — seek medical attention immediately.

We do not recommend that people take wasp extermination and nest removal as a task to take upon themselves. Doing so increases your risk of harm and can cause increased complications.

How should I get rid of paper wasps?

The safer, more comprehensive, and effective choice is to use a professional extermination support team, like Effective Pest Services. We use commercial-grade, EPA-approved products combined with our near-decade experience in serving Northern Colorado’s pest control needs to provide services that are thorough, effective, and come with our promise of a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We’ll provide you a thorough inspection, tailored recommendations, and a no-hassle quote on how we can best fill you pest extermination needs.

Paper wasps not only require approaches like the appropriate application of products and nest removal, but also the treatment for other pests. Because paper wasps feed off of nectar and other insects, flowering plants and numerous other pests are attracting them to your property. Often, the effective treatment of one insect means a more comprehensive treatment of other insects, as well, in this instance, it’s to remove a pest’s food source in order to decrease the attractiveness of your yard.

Our customers who choose our year-round, quarterly pest control tend to experience the best results because they’re receiving treatment that directly addresses the pests they have today while implementing measures that will prevent them from experiencing future infestations.
Interested in learning more about how you can finally enjoy your favorite outdoor activities free of stinging insects like paper wasps? We’d love to hear from you!

Need more reasons to choose Effective Pest Services?

We employ only licensed and trained technicians
We’ll provide on the spot, written estimates at a great value and a fair price
We’re locally owned and operated
We provide year-round treatment solutions
Need reservices? We’re happy to come back — at no charge!
100% guaranteed service!