Paper Wasps or domestic Hornets (Dolichovespula) and Yellow Jackets (Vespula) represent a group of closely related species of stinging insects. They (again the females are "they") only attack in self-defense — although you may be unaware you have "attacked" them. Disturbing their nests may lead to especially dangerous massed attacks, but even a single swatted wasp or yellowjacket on the picnic table may deliver a painful sting. Unlike bees, individual wasps are able to sting many times.

Wasps follow an annual life cycle comparable to many insects. The already mated female builds a nest in the spring. Gradually the colony and nest increase. Finally, the new queen turns over all duties except reproduction to its progeny. Mating occurs in late summer. With the frosts of fall, mated females search individually for secluded spots where they may live through the winter. Nests are abandoned and seldom if ever reused.

Paper wasp nests hang in trees or under the eaves of houses. Nests vary widely in size and may reach the dimensions of a good-sized party balloon. The material is made from wood by a process not unlike that human beings discovered aeons later.

Yellow jackets build similar but smaller nests, generally located in cavities in the ground just below the surface. It is these one may inadvertently strike with foot or implement with alarming results. It is at this point that we are apt to forget that one of the principle foods of wasps are other insects, that they are actually a quite helpful race.

Wasps also subsist on plant nectar and fruit, a dietary choice that leads to their obvious attraction to garbage and uneaten food on our plates. Their fondness for sweets even leads to attacks on beehives.

Although biters such as mosquitos or black flies are generally the most bothersome outdoor pests, some authorities regard wasps and bees as more dangerous in North America. The primary danger is to those who are allergic (or turn out to be allergic) to their stings. Repeated stings can also be dangerous to non-allergic individuals (especially the very young or old). If one by accident knocks down a nest or uproots one, it is best to walk slowly away, getting under cover, even forest cover, as soon as possible. If a wasp is found in your car, you should stop and open the windows. Do not swat.