Common types of wasps
The most common types of wasps in Albuquerque, NM include yellow jackets, paper wasps, and hornets as well as mud daubers.
When are wasps & yellow jackets most active?
What do wasps look like?
- Yellow jackets
Yellow jackets have narrow waists, long legs, and their thoraxes have black and yellow markings. They are hairless stinging insects that have stingers without barbs. - Paper wasps
Paper wasps closely resemble yellow jackets but they are mostly brown with some yellow coloration. Some species of paper wasps have bands that vary in color. These wasps do not have barbed stingers. - Bald-faced hornets
Bald-faced hornets are long wasp-like stinging insects that have mostly black bodies with mostly white faces. Their stingers are not equipped with barbs. - Mud daubers
Mud daubers are typically black with pale markings or metallic coloring. They have long, narrow “waists” that connect their thoraxes to their abdomens. Like the other wasps mentioned, mud daubers do not have barbed stingers.
Wasp nest identification
Yellow jacket nests are made from papery material and have a single opening. Yellow jackets build their nests in a variety of places including, but not limited to:
- Tree branches
- Shrubs
- Sides of buildings
- Wall voids
- Existing cavities
- Abandoned rodent burrows
- Holes in the ground
Paper wasps create aerial nests that look like upside-down umbrellas. They suspend these nests from trees, overhangs, and hanging from other sheltered areas.
Bald-faced hornets build large nests at least three feet off the ground. Common nesting sites include overhangs, eaves, trees, and shrubs/bushes.
As their name suggests, mud daubers build nests mostly out of mud. They are easily recognized because their nests often look like pipes (they might be globular though). Common nesting sites for mud daubers in New Mexico include entryways, stucco, eaves, and in other protected areas. text 2
Are wasps dangerous?
Although the level of aggression varies by wasp, it is reasonable to say that all wasps have the potential to be dangerous. In fact, some (not all) are easily provoked and will attack at the slightest provocation or assumed threat.
Unfortunately, because they do not have barbs on their stingers, they are capable of stinging multiple times. Wasp stings may result in red welts and swelling but for some individuals, it can prove life threatening.
Why do I have a wasp problem?
There isn’t any singular reason why you may be experiencing a wasp problem on your property. If you have flowering plants, fruit trees, insects, garbage cans, and other potential food sources, you’re likely to see wasp activity. And if there’s plenty of protected areas to build their nests, you’ll see these stinging insects.
How do you get rid of wasps?
At Greenway Pest Solutions, we provide professional bee and wasp control in Albuquerque that includes swarm and nest removal. Our knowledgeable and experienced pest control specialist will remove hives, nest, or colonies from your property using the right tools and safety equipment to prevent injury. For more information about this service, please contact us today!
