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This is a European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominulus), an introduced species. Notice it is starting a nest on the side of the nestbox interior. Nests are attached by a little stalk. See photos of an active nest found in the underside of a Peterson box and pupae below. Many birds will avoid or abandon a box that has paperwasps in it.
The European Paper Wasp is yellow and black like a yellow jacket. They are most easily distinguished from yellow jackets by their reddish-brown color with yellowish bands on the abdomen, and by their long, slender bodies. These wasps become most active in mid-June, although in CT I have seen nests started in April. Nest cells may face outward versus down like the native Paper Wasp (e.g., Polistes fuscatus). It becomes "imprinted" on a nest site, so just destroying the nest doesn't work.
I have found both the native brown Paper Wasp and the European Paper Wasp in the same box. Wasps tend to show up in Tree Swallow boxes, and in boxes near the woods/swampy areas. Maybe they are more common in Tree Swallow boxes because they leave the box unattended for longer periods of time. The roofs on the boxes in these photos were "soaped" but not sufficiently I guess. European Paper Wasps will build on nestbox sides where vaseline should not be used since it might get on the birds.
There are over 20 different species of Polistes spp. in North America. European Paper Wasps have documented in Masschusetts (first discovered in 1978, and since then in), MA, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VT, CT (1992), MD, MI, ME, MO, Ontario, CA, WA, UT, IL, CO, ID, OR, British Columbia, VA, WI, and MN. (Liebert et al.)
The photos at the very bottom are probably native Paper Wasps. These brown wasps only build nests on the roof or in the upper corners.
In 2007, I had good luck deterring paper wasps in nestboxes using nursing pads (my husband calls them "boob leaker pads") injected with 2-3 drops of organic peppermint oil. The pads are then thumb tacked to the roof of the nestbox. I refresh the oil once a month. It was less effective in 2008. The pads have not deterred bluebirds/Tree Swallows from nesting. Based on this large nest found on the underside of the Peterson box (which resulted in abandonment of the nest), I also need to put pads there. Other options are rubbing the roof with soap, vaseline, spraying with caged bird spray etc - see More info on Paper Wasp control options and ID. |
