Attack of the Wasps

Written: April 29, 2002
Last Updated: April 29, 2002

The wasps are back!

Last summer there was an invasion of wasps when a queen decided to set up her nest in the eaves at my place. I rarely ventured out to the balcony until they left when Old Man Winter arrived in the Bay Area. A few weeks ago, I noticed the appearance of a few more hives along the eaves. How fitting that the next Star Wars movie is called Attack of the Clones. I was experiencing an Attack of the Wasps!

Today, Alex from the pest company came by to deal with the wasps. Armed with a two meter long force pike... err... metal pole and a can of Wasp Freeze, he dealt with the offending nests and queens. In one of the nests, we saw wasp pupae. I felt a tinge of sadness as we were destroying it, but it was fascinating to see the metamorphosis between a larvae and an adult wasp. We also saw some developing larvae still encased within the hive combs.

Spraying with Wasp Freeze

Pupae

Larvae

Alex told me that the wasps were Paper Wasps, not yellowjackets. The latter have shorter legs and are much more aggressive than the former. Paper wasps are a relatively non-aggressive species of wasps that make their nests out of chewed up wood. Recycling occuring in nature -- how cool is that?

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Reader Comments

I been reading about wasp all morning and I keep hearing how non-aggressive they are. Let me tell you these wasp in Mississippi are aggressive. If you let them land on you they will sting you, and if they are flying around you they will land on you.
There seeming to more each year. You can not stop at a red light without two or three landing on your car.
Anyway so much for non-aggressive wasp.
Ed

--posted by Ed Rogers @ Sunday, June 1 2003, 12:40 pm EDT

I am from Alabama. While taking my daughter to school this morning, a dozen or so wasps swarmed out from under our porch and stung her 4 times. Not aggressive my foot! Only about 30 minutes later when my Mom walked outside, they swarmed out again and tried to attack her!

--posted by Cynthia @ Wednesday, August 27 2003, 9:35 am EDT

I stepped in the wrong place yeaserday and got stung 8 times in 10 sec. by 1 wasp. Very painfull!

--posted by Ouch @ Monday, September 8 2003, 10:52 am EDT