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Rhino Pest Management — pest control on Florida's Treasure & Space Coast
Stinging InsectsHigh concern

Paper Wasp

Polistes

Long-legged brown-and-yellow wasps that build open umbrella nests under eaves and furniture.

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Photo: Anna N Chapman (CC0) · public domain/CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

How to identify it

Slender, 18–25 mm, brownish with yellow markings and notably long legs that dangle in flight. Build open, umbrella-shaped gray paper nests with visible hexagonal cells — no outer paper cover like yellow jackets.

Where it hides

Under eaves, inside shutters, in grills, under outdoor furniture, in attic vents, in shed doors — any sheltered, elevated surface near a wood source.

Signs you have them
  • Open, mushroom or umbrella-shaped gray paper nests under eaves, shutters, porch ceilings and inside grills
  • Long-legged wasps hovering near nest or foraging on flowers
  • Wasps entering and leaving nest entrance hole
Why it matters

Paper wasps sting readily when the nest is approached or accidentally touched. Multiple stings from nest members can cause severe allergic reactions. They return to build new nests in the same locations each season.

How Rhino treats it

Rhino treats and removes paper wasp nests, including hard-to-reach eave and soffit locations, and applies a residual deterrent to nesting surfaces to discourage seasonal return.

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