I've been seeing these all over this winter and thought I would finally take the time to discuss the creatures behind the works of art. There are twenty-two species of wasps in North America that create paper nests with this spherical layered look. There other wasps from other families and subfamilies that also make paper nests and all are usually lumped into the group "paper wasps." Now, not to confuse, but bald-faced hornets and yellow jackets are two of the wasps that take wood fibers and mix them with saliva to form the thin strip of paper to make the inner cells and the exterior of this nest. Not all wasps are hornets or yellow jackets, but all hornets and yellow jackets are wasps. Bees are entirely different from all and have no place here. What I wonder about the dozens of nests like this around town is if they will be recolonized by wasp queens in the coming weeks. This one looks like a few roof repairs and a new door are all it needs.
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