Garden Pests and Diseases: paper wasps, 1 by Night_Bloom

Night_Bloom wrote:
While I definitely understand the desire to limit non-native species, I would like to point out that there are more species of paper wasps than the European paper wasp - bug guide lists 12 others in two genera - so not all paper wasps should be considered non-native. My favorite - from when I lived in Florida - was a small species in the Mischocyttarus genus. I used to find them under palmetto fronds, and they would make a big show of buzzing at you, but didn't sting (they were cute when they did this). Though their species name was mexicanus, so I might be wrong and these might not be native - though I suspect that they might be, and that they just migrated up from Mexico perhaps. I'm pretty sure that I have red wasps (Polistes carolina) in my yard, though I'm not sure where they nest as I haven't seen a nest of theirs yet - they just cruise my garden a lot.


While I do agree that the paper wasps can be a pain sometimes - I think they sometimes pick off my swallowtail butterfly caterpillars - they also do a great job of patrolling my garden and lawn for insect pests (as do the yellow jackets when I am lucky enough to have a nest in the yard.) From experience with nests in inconvienient places (bird feeders, right near the door), early is the way to go in knocking down nests.

I will relay though that there might be something getting them at times though - perhaps good news for Stelco. I was observing a nest near a door I didn't use much except at night (I photograph moths) and one night the wasp wasn't there. Soon after, the nest disappeared entirely.

Here's a picture of a red wasp for those who'd like to know what they look like...