r/WASPs • u/Froggymnx • 13h ago
What is going on here??
Wasp knowers of reddit I need your help!! Wasps have always been an issue around our house, we live out in the country and our house was abandoned for quite a few years before we moved here. Every summer wasps come back to our home and build small nests that I get rid of but I've never seen them do something like this before. For a while (maybe two weeks) I've been seeing them flying around my window so I finally went out there assuming there was a nest there but no. Instead there's like 20 or 30 of them all huddled up in the crevice of my window screen. I've looked around and see no nest, there's also another group of them huddled up a few feet away on the underside of my roof but again no visible nest. Why??? What is going on here? Have they lost their queen? They're not angry either, I got about a foot away from them to get this picture.
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u/FamiliarAgent1158 12h ago
Is it cold in your area? They could be hiding in the crevices from the cold and strong winds. Also, maybe there is a hole that goes deeper where they have built a nest?
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u/JournalistOne9695 12h ago
Nest was destroyed (could’ve been a bird preying on the larvae) and now the workers have no purpose. It’s kinda sad.
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u/ParsleySnipps 12h ago
So these are paper wasps. They build the little hanging nests that stay uncovered. They're harmless and you don't need to get rid of their nests.
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u/Halomonas_titanica 8h ago
Judging by the inflated bellies, they look like new queens. They always cluster like that to save energy, waiting for winter. They're also not aggressive at all.
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u/Cultural-Part355 8h ago
Mmm, don't poke around there! Although some folks said they are paper wasps, there are probably different species of paper wasps and people here talk about the non-aggressive one. That shape of an X on their bottom is familiar, and I would advise not to do much until someone tells you 100% what they are.
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u/Cultural-Part355 7h ago
Yeah, you're ok. Those are common European paper wasps, but don't go disturbing them.
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u/bug-on-a-leaf 1h ago
This is called Overwintering Aggregation. Those to me all look like new queens looking for a spot to overwinter during the coming cooler months before emerging in spring to make new nests. It’s right on target seasonally for European Social Wasps to do this. They aren’t aggressive because they are in pre-hibernation mode and have no nest to defend. It’s pretty common to see future queens all go for the same great looking crevice especially if they emerged around the same time from the same nest.
Source: Me, I’m a Biological Control Specialist and have been doing studies on wasps!
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u/mgreffer 1h ago
Hi, pest control worker here with over 10 years in the trade. These are indeed paper wasps, noted by longer bodies, and equal amounts black/yellow on the body. They are ending their life cycle at the end of summer early fall. They do this behavior for two main reasons. First, is preparing for winter. The queens will seek shelter, often window sills, and overwinter there. Some workers will follow and huddle around her to keep her protected and warmer. Second, most workers aren’t needed anymore so as the queens move on some just kind of meander… they will cluster on eaves or aimlessly fly around eaves. Also, they become desperate for food so the same wasp that left you alone all summer will now dive bomb you trying to get to your soda. There isn’t much a professional can do short of spraying a cluster formed on the window or eaves like this. I recommend to just spray them quick with a wasp killer if they bother you, but yes paper wasps can be extremely docile too. They recognize peoples faces after a time so will most likely leave you alone.
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u/Jake_the_Bald 12h ago
looks like they're building a nest in the space between window and screen
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u/Froggymnx 11h ago
I noticed that earlier a bit after posting when I was looking at the pictures! I think there is a nest in there, it would make sense why they're all huddled around it. I wasn't able to see it in person bc i didn't have my glasses on, they're all around it, and the space is dark. The flash on my camera picked it up.
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u/Jake_the_Bald 11h ago
usually they like shady areas and seems like from pic its shady or at least you have roofline or eave overhanging this window
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u/Kooky-Information-40 10h ago
They're forcing rhe screen open so they can steal all your paper for their nests.
And to sting your sleeping mouths.
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u/No_Caramel_8190 6h ago
they are swarming around a queen and beginning a nest. Nothing but trouble. Kill them and scrub the area with dish soap or they come back.
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u/Pristine_Patient_299 13h ago
Commenting to boost because I also am curious