Cassie Cichorz
Pest Program
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| Paper wasp on a nest in Washington State |
Did you know you can help protect Washington from invasive species just by taking a walk around your house or barn once a week?
Over the last few years, residents of Whatcom County and WSDA staff have noticed hornets attacking paper wasp nests. In 2021, WSDA tracked a hornet and observed it repeatedly visiting the same paper wasp nest. Each visit lasted five to ten minutes and the hornet removed paper wasp larvae.WSDA invites you to help watch for northern giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia). Join our community
science project to locate active paper wasp nests, watch the nests weekly, and
record your observations from June through October. WSDA will continue to
invite residents to participate in public scientist trapping too.
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| Northern giant hornet attacking a paper wasp nest on a house in Whatcom County |
Paper wasps (Polistes dominula) can grow to about three-quarters of an inch long and have a well-defined “wasp waist” that makes them easy to identify. Paper wasps are typically not aggressive and do not readily attack people, but they can sting if threatened. They form small colonies and build hanging, open-comb nests on building eaves, frames, abandoned cars, or branches of trees and shrubs. Paper wasp nests vary in size and are usually gray to brown in color. They are made up of many exposed cells that are less than an inch deep. Nests typically range from the size of a quarter to a coffee can lid, but can be larger.
Although we invite anyone in Washington to participate in adopting
a paper wasp nest, we are particularly interested in observations from Whatcom,
Skagit, Island, San Juan, Snohomish, King, Jefferson, and Clallam counties.
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| Paper wasps tending their nest |
Starting in June, locate active paper wasp nests that you
have access to and can monitor through October. Log the nest locations using
the Watch a Wasp Nest Registration Form. After submission, you’ll receive an
email confirmation which will include a unique Nest ID assigned to your nest
location. You will need to save this Nest ID to use during weekly check-ins. Access
the registration form.
MONITOR
Each week visit the nests. Watch for any hornet or wasp
activity happening at the nest. WSDA asks you to monitor the nests for at least
five minutes during the day once per week, but you can check the nests as long
and often as you would like.
REPORT
After monitoring you will need to report each of your
observations on the Watch a Wasp Check-in form. You will also need your Nest ID
which was received in a confirmation email. Click
here to access the check-in form.
However, if you think you spot a northern giant hornet (it
will be significantly larger than the paper wasps), safely take a photo and
report it at agr.wa.gov/hornets or by emailing hornets@agr.wa.gov.
Stay Connected
WSDA is dedicated to working with the public
and to providing information on northern giant hornets.
- Join the Washington State Hornet Watch Facebook group.
- Join the Pest Program email listserv.
- Follow WSDA on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.