The Urban Pantheist

A European paper wasp Polistes dominula* accompanies me as I hang out the laundry. She and I are both focused on the clothespins; me because I'm trying to hang the damn laundry, and her because its nice untreated dead wood, perfect to chew up into pulp to form a paper wasp nest. Even though these are non-natives, and they can sting, I pretty much leave them alone. They eat only other insects, hopefully winter moth caterpillars this time of year, and they are not especially aggressive. They do love to build their nests on human-made objects like eaves, sheds, and fences, which can be a nuisance. The biggest problem comes from people who don't notice living things around them, inadvertently disturbing the nest and getting themselves stung.

*"Little mistress who founded the city???"

European paper wasp nest, Franklin Park. These wasps can usually be tolerated, since they feed exclusively on other insects (and not on trash, like yellow jackets do). Unfortunately they often build their nests on man-made structures—I removed this one from a storage shed.

This puddle on the roof of a building is the result of a clogged drain. My job requires me to be strangely obsessive about standing water. I'm sure you can guess why.

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A coworker told me about a wasp nest he knew about, so I went and found it, and removed it. It was a European paper wasp nest--this species builds nests a bit earlier than many others. Native to Europe, it is not especially aggressive, but that is not much solace to those who have been stung. They like to build nests on man-made structures such inside the open pipe of chain link fence supports or old sheds. They closely resemble yellow jackets, which are much more likely to sting. If you have the nerve to examine them closely, European paper wasps have orange antennae while those of yellow jackets are black. Traps designed to catch yellow jackets (which are attracted to sugar syrups and meat) will not catch European paper wasps. Here are three of the eight European paper wasp nests I destroyed that day.




Old or poorly constructed sheds are most attractive to the wasps, as they provide shelter from the weather, but have large gaps that the insects can use as entrance holes.


The paper combs of the nests, made mostly from the dead wood of fences mixed with the insects' saliva, are quite beautiful.

EDITED TO ADD: These wasps feed exclusively on other insects, so many people just leave them alone. I remove their nests only when they they provide a stinging hazard at home or work.