Identify Your Pest Flying insects Paper wasp
Paper wasp
Polistes spp. · Also called: European paper wasp, golden paper wasp, umbrella wasp
Paper wasps are slender wasps with long, dangling legs that build small, open paper nests under eaves, railings and decks. In Alberta they live mostly in the far south, but the invasive European paper wasp now also turns up in Calgary and near Edmonton.
Size About 16 to 20 mm long
Colour Black with yellow bands; some have reddish brown legs
Key feature Slim body with long legs hanging down in flight; open, uncovered nest
Season May to September; queens may shelter indoors over winter
Where Under eaves, railings, deck boards and fence tops, and inside sheds or grills
What it looks like
Paper wasps have a long, slim body, a narrow waist and long legs that dangle below them as they fly. Two kinds are seen most often in Alberta, and both are mostly black with yellow bands. The native golden paper wasp often has reddish brown legs and antennae and amber-tinted wings. The invasive European paper wasp looks a lot like a yellowjacket, but its antennae are orange toward the tips.
The nest settles most doubts. It is a single, open comb of grey paper cells shaped like an upside-down umbrella and hanging from one thin stalk. There is no outer cover, so you can see the six-sided cells and often the wasps resting on them. Most nests stay small, about the size of a palm or smaller.
Often confused with
Yellowjacket
Bald-faced hornet
Signs to look for
Open comb under an overhang
Long-legged wasps patrolling
Wasps in grills or equipment
Slow wasps at windows
Risks and damage
Paper wasps are usually calmer than yellowjackets and seldom bother people who stay away from the nest. They will sting to defend it, though, and each wasp can sting more than once. Stings hurt and swell but are rarely serious unless a person is allergic, in which case fast medical care matters. Nests are small and do no real harm to buildings, so the main concern is stings near doors, decks and railings.
In Alberta
Paper wasps are not as widespread in Alberta as yellowjackets. Both the native golden paper wasp and the invasive European paper wasp live mostly in the south, around Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. European paper wasps also turn up in Calgary and have been recorded near Edmonton.
The European paper wasp is native to Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia. It was first found in North America in the late 1970s and has since spread across much of the continent, including southern Alberta.
How to keep them out
Check overhangs in spring
Close gaps and hollow spaces
Keep grills and sheds closed
Repair vent screens
When it is time to bring in a professional
A professional is worth it when a nest is near a doorway, deck or play area, hidden inside a grill or wall, or too high to reach safely. A sting allergy in the home is another good reason. Technica’s licensed technicians can confirm which wasp you have and remove the nest with care.
Frequently asked questions
Are paper wasps dangerous?
They are less likely to sting than yellowjackets and often ignore people who keep their distance. The risk rises when a nest sits at hand height near a door or railing, where people bump it without seeing it. Anyone with a sting allergy should take nests close to the home seriously.
Are paper wasps common in Alberta?
Less common than yellowjackets. Paper wasps are found mostly in southern Alberta, around Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, with some records in Calgary and a few near Edmonton. If a nest has a closed grey cover, it belongs to a yellowjacket or hornet, not a paper wasp.
Will paper wasps reuse the same nest next year?
Usually not. Most colonies end in fall and new queens build fresh nests in spring. European paper wasps sometimes take over an old nest, so remove empty nests in winter and check the same eaves and railings in spring.