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Wildlife Spotlight: Your Guide to Understanding Wasp Nests

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Wildlife Spotlight: Your Guide to Understanding Wasp Nests

Wasps are common across Dallas-Fort Worth, but not all species pose the same risk. The nest you find can help you understand what you’re dealing with — and whether you should be concerned. Let’s look at three of the most common: mud daubers, paper wasps, and yellowjackets.

Mud Daubers

  • Nest Appearance: Hardened mud tubes, often stacked side by side. Each tube is about the size of a finger, sealed once the female stocks it with food (usually spiders) for her young. Some species may create larger clumps or rounded nests, but tubular nests are most common around DFW.

  • Materials: Built from mud collected and molded into place.

  • Location: On walls, ceilings of porches, attics, sheds, and other sheltered surfaces.

  • What to Know: Mud daubers are solitary and not aggressive. They rarely sting unless directly handled, and their nests usually pose little risk.

Paper Wasps

  • Nest Appearance: Upside-down umbrella with exposed combs. You can see the open hexagonal cells and sometimes the larvae inside.

  • Materials: Made from chewed plant fibers mixed with saliva, creating a papery gray texture.

  • Location: Often under eaves, porch ceilings, and tree branches.

  • What to Know: Generally less aggressive than yellowjackets but will defend their nest if disturbed.

Yellowjackets

  • Nest Appearance: Large, enclosed nests with smooth papery walls. Above ground, they’re often football-shaped; underground nests are hidden, with only a small entrance hole visible.

  • Materials: Multiple layers of chewed wood pulp forming a protective paper shell.

  • Location: Trees, bushes, attics, wall voids, and underground rodent burrows.

  • What to Know: Highly aggressive defenders of their nests. Colonies can number in the thousands, and disturbing them may trigger a swarm.

Why Nest Identification Matters

  • Mud Daubers: Usually harmless, though abandoned nests may attract other pests.

  • Paper Wasps: Removal is best handled early before colonies expand.

  • Yellowjackets: Extremely risky to deal with yourself. Professional removal is strongly recommended.

Stay Safe with Professional Pest Control

Even if a wasp seems harmless, approaching nests carries risks. Proper identification helps, but safe removal should always be left to professionals, especially for yellowjackets.