What Do Paper Wasps Eat? Do They Eat Wood?

Did you find a paper wasp near your house and are wondering what they eat? Don’t worry; these aren’t the bugs that will attack your picnic baskets and jams and fruits. Below, we will share with you what they actually like to eat.

One of the most distinctive wasp nests you can spot is that of the paper wasps.

Whenever you see black and yellow wasps flying toward you, the best idea is to bolt in the opposite direction.

But what should you do if you find their nest in or around your house? Let us tell you a little about this species of wasp and what makes them so special.

What Are Paper Wasps?

Paper wasps are one of the most common wasp species in the world. The common paper wasps are black insects with yellow markings.

Some of its European varieties also have bright reddish-orange antennae.

These wasps are social insects that build colonies in their nests, similar to bees. Most of them are found in a temperate climate, which could be forests or grasslands.

Female wasps grow larger than males and have additional spots to distinguish their gender.

At one time, they were only known as European wasps because of their abundance in the agricultural areas of the continent.

At present, the wasps are found in scattered parts of North America, Canada, and parts of South America, like Chile and Argentina.

In the United States, they are mostly found on the East Coast.

Why Are They Called Paper Wasps?

Paper wasps are known mainly for their unique nests that look like they are made from paper.

These insects use fiber from wood and plant stems, mixing it with their saliva to create a brown material, which is essentially the same thing as modern-day paper.

This mixture helps them create large nests in the form of colonies where they live and lay eggs.

Paper wasp nests have open combs with cells. It looks somewhat like an umbrella, which is why these wasps are also called umbrella wasps.

It is hung from a petiole that works as a bridge between the nest with the surface structure, holding it in place.

Building the nests is an elaborate process for these social wasps. The queen bee starts the process in the spring after overwintering.

In most cases, she looks for a spot near human settlements or as parts of a tree.

She lays her first batch of eggs, which grow into larvae and then join her in the nest-making process. Soon, more and more eggs hatch and join the effort.

At its peak, a paper wasp colony can reach up to 200 wasps, some of whom are workers and drones, while a few select females are being reared for the next generation of queens.

At the onset of winter, the queen and some of these chosen females find spots to hide for the winter and become inactive.

The rest of the nest and its inhabitants slowly die due to the harsh cold weather and lack of food.

What Do They Eat?

Adult paper wasps are omnivores that feed on both animal and plant matter. The diet of these wasps includes insect larvae, flies, aphids, and caterpillars.

They also eat honeydew and nectar from plants.

However, the paper wasps found in America feed mainly on caterpillars and flower nectar.

These insects are considered to be beneficial insects as they feed on pests, thus protecting your plants.

What Do Their Larvae Eat?

Paper wasp larva feed on animal remains that the adult paper wasps bring them. These wasps bring chewed-up caterpillars to feed their young ones.

Once the larva grows into an adult wasp, they take over the nest-building process and are responsible for feeding the next generation.

Are They Beneficial?

Paper wasps are considered to be beneficial insects for your garden. They feed on a number of pests, like caterpillars, types of flies, and beetle larvae.

Another reason these wasps are beneficial is their role in pollination. These wasps feed on the nectar of different flowers, transferring the pollen from one plant to another in the process.

What Eats Paper Wasps?

Even though paper wasps are infamous as stingers, they have a number of predators in the wild.

Birds, dragonflies, beetles, spiders, moths, and praying mantes are some of the most common creatures that feed on paper wasps.

Birds are one of the most common predators of wasps. They usually go for solitary wasps, which are not aggressive and easier to hunt.

But birds are usually not selective about their prey and will catch any wasp they can find, often swooping them mid-air.

Insects like praying mantes, beetles, and dragonflies hunt wasps using different techniques. In most cases, they quietly monitor the prey, waiting for an opportunity.

When they find their chance, they attack the wasps with their jaws, avoiding the sting as best as possible.

Are Paper Wasps Dangerous?

Paper wasps can be considered dangerous since they are aggressive in nature. These social wasps are always on alert to defend their nests against any kind of threat.

The wasps also build their nests around human settlements, which can make them a threat to humans.

In most cases, the wasps will keep to themselves and hover around their nests. If you encounter one far away from its nest, they are not likely to attack if you don’t accidentally make contact with them.

Paper wasps can also become a domestic nuisance since they scrape wood from random areas and feed on the flowers and fruits of the garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrap Up

It is true that paper wasps live around humans, and they can become a real disturbance. However, they are not like yellow jackets, which would go after your sugary food and soda cans.

The best idea to save yourself from their nuisance is to remove their nests at the first sign. It will be easier to get rid of the wasps early on, and you will save yourself a lot of pain from their stings.

Thank you for reading!