Specimen 12 · Polistes

Updated October 19, 2026

Kansas pesticide business license #3403

Paper wasps on Wichita houses

Q: How do I know it's a paper wasp?

The nest is the easiest one to see. Open cells, one layer: The nest is a single layer of open cells facing down, hung by one stalk, with no paper cover. Penn State calls it an upside-down umbrella. A long, thin waist: Paper wasps are slender and long-legged, with a spindle-shaped abdomen on a long, slender waist. Legs dangle in flight: Their long legs hang down as they fly. Yellowjackets hold theirs close to the body. Reddish to brown, and they may have yellow or black markings: Reddish to brown, with yellow or black markings. Penn State says native paper wasps come in blacks, browns and dark reds.

Q: Will paper wasps sting?

Usually not: They're not aggressive unless they're defending the nest (MF3291) More than once: A paper wasp can sting repeatedly (Minnesota Extension) Allergies: In people who are allergic, a sting can cause a life-threatening reaction (MF3291, Nebraska Extension) Healthy adults: Stings in otherwise healthy adults should resolve without medical intervention or complication (Penn State, on the European paper wasp) K-State says wasps feed on caterpillars, including many pest species, and are considered beneficial insects.

Q: What can I do about paper wasps myself?

Leave an out-of-the-way nest alone. K-State says not to disturb a nest unless it's a nuisance or a danger where it is. Don't spray one indoors. A wasp inside is usually a queen from a shelter, not an active nest. Nebraska Extension says not to use wasp spray inside. Close up nest sites. Repair holes in walls, caulk cracks in soffits and eaves, and screen vents. If a nest is inside a wall, don't seal the hole before it's treated. Treat a nest after dark. K-State says to spray it after dark with a spray that reaches 10 to 20 feet, then remove the nest once activity stops. Minnesota Extension says not to do this yourself if you're allergic to stings. Then: Not sure what you have? Nest by the door, or wasps inside? That's where Donnie comes in.

Paper wasps hang an open, umbrella-shaped nest from the house by a single stalk.

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Nests grow

Through the season

Indoors

Fall and spring

Price

$125–165 a visit

Paper wasp illustration, top view, with a narrow waist and striped abdomen. — **No. 12 · Paper wasp**Long legs and a thin waist.

Facts from K-State Research and Extension and the other sources named on this page

How do I know it's a paper wasp?

The nest is the easiest one to see.

4checks

Nest · Waist · Legs · Color

Paper wasp illustration with four numbered callouts: a nest of one open layer of cells hanging from the eave by a single stalk, a long thin waist, long legs hanging down in flight, and a reddish-brown body with dark marks. A magnifier shows the nest's open cells and its stalk in true color: gray paper.

Open cells, one layer
The nest is a single layer of open cells facing down, hung by one stalk, with no paper cover. Penn State calls it an upside-down umbrella.
A long, thin waist
Paper wasps are slender and long-legged, with a spindle-shaped abdomen on a long, slender waist.
Legs dangle in flight
Their long legs hang down as they fly. Yellowjackets hold theirs close to the body.
Reddish to brown, and they may have yellow or black markings
Reddish to brown, with yellow or black markings. Penn State says native paper wasps come in blacks, browns and dark reds.

Paper wasp

Body: Slender and long-legged
Legs in flight: Hang down
Nest: One open layer of cells on a single stalk, no cover
Where you find it: Under eaves, on porches and anything sheltered

Yellowjacket

Body: About ½ inch, black with distinct yellow bands and two pairs of spots between the wings
Legs in flight: Held close to the body
Nest: Usually underground; hanging nests are wrapped in gray paper with one entrance
Where you find it: Ground nests found while mowing or trimming; drawn to sweet drinks and fruit

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); Penn State Extension, European Paper Wasp (2026); University of Minnesota Extension, Wasps and bees; Iowa State University, Social Wasps; UC IPM, Yellowjackets and Other Social Wasps.

Will paper wasps sting?

Usually not

They're not aggressive unless they're defending the nest (MF3291)

More than once

A paper wasp can sting repeatedly (Minnesota Extension)

Allergies

In people who are allergic, a sting can cause a life-threatening reaction (MF3291, Nebraska Extension)

Healthy adults

Stings in otherwise healthy adults should resolve without medical intervention or complication (Penn State, on the European paper wasp)

K-State says wasps feed on caterpillars, including many pest species, and are considered beneficial insects.

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); University of Minnesota Extension; Nebraska Extension, Wasps; Penn State Extension, European Paper Wasp (2026).

Found a nest?
Text Donnie a photo.

It tells him whether it's something to jump on or not a concern at all.

A clear photo of the nest or the wasp is enough.

Text Donnie a photo Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Where do paper wasps nest, and why are they inside?

Nests hang somewhere sheltered. These are the four places to look.

01
Under the eaves and roof edge
02
Porches and other sheltered spots
Anything sheltered outside, like a porch.
03
Chimneys, attics and wall voids
Mated queens spend the winter in sheltered spots like these. Donnie says wasps that overwintered somewhere like a chimney can start showing up inside in fall and spring. Minnesota Extension says a wasp seen indoors is coming from a shelter, not from an active nest.
04
Windows, indoors
A wasp that gets inside will likely settle by a window.

Their year in Kansas

Spring
A queen starts a new nest of only a few cells, where she cares for the young.
Through the season
The colony grows quickly, with workers adding to the paper nest.
Winter
Nests don't survive the winter, even inside a building (Minnesota Extension), and a single queen survives (MF3291).

Sources: Donnie Aaron; K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); Iowa State University; University of Minnesota Extension; Penn State Extension; Nebraska Extension.

What can I do about paper wasps myself?

What K-State and other extension services suggest.

5steps

Tick the ones you're already doing.

EasyLeave an out-of-the-way nest aloneK-State says not to disturb a nest unless it's a nuisance or a danger where it is.
EasyDon't spray one indoorsA wasp inside is usually a queen from a shelter, not an active nest. Nebraska Extension says not to use wasp spray inside.
Takes an afternoonClose up nest sitesRepair holes in walls, caulk cracks in soffits and eaves, and screen vents. If a nest is inside a wall, don't seal the hole before it's treated.
Takes an eveningTreat a nest after darkK-State says to spray it after dark with a spray that reaches 10 to 20 feet, then remove the nest once activity stops. Minnesota Extension says not to do this yourself if you're allergic to stings.
Ask Donnie

Not sure what you have?

Nest by the door, or wasps inside? That's where Donnie comes in.

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); Penn State Extension; Nebraska Extension; University of Minnesota Extension; Iowa State University; UC IPM.

What doesn't work

Spraying a nest you can't find. Nebraska Extension says not to use an insecticide if you can't locate the nest. And don't swat or run; UC IPM says to wait for it to leave or gently brush it away.

Worth knowing

Early is easiest
Nests are easiest to remove early in the season, before workers appear (Penn State).
Hidden nests
A nest inside the building is best handled by a pest professional (Minnesota Extension).

Who do I call about paper wasps, and what does a visit cost?

Price · one-time visit

$125–165

a one-time visit. No contract.

Quarterly · $140 a visit*

Monthly · $120 a visit*

*For a home that's $165 one-time.

Donnie works alone, so it's him at the door on every visit. Most visits are booked within a week.

Donnie sees wasps quite a bit, but he's rarely called just for them.

See every price

Arrival · A window of about an hour; he texts when he's on the way

Paying · After the visit: card, Venmo, cash or check

If pests come back · Text Donnie. He talks it through and tells you before he comes whether a return visit costs anything.

No contract

You pay for each visit.

Same-day reply

Mon–Fri 8–5

Licensed in Kansas

In Wichita since 1992

Text or call Donnie

(316) 681-2255

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Paper wasps on Wichita houses

How do I know it's a paper wasp?

Open cells, one layer

A long, thin waist

Legs dangle in flight

Reddish to brown, and they may have yellow or black markings

Paper wasp

Yellowjacket

Will paper wasps sting?

Found a nest? Text Donnie a photo.

Where do paper wasps nest, and why are they inside?

Under the eaves and roof edge

Porches and other sheltered spots

Chimneys, attics and wall voids

Windows, indoors

Spring

Through the season

Winter

What can I do about paper wasps myself?

Not sure what you have?

What doesn't work

Early is easiest

Hidden nests

Who do I call about paper wasps, and what does a visit cost?

Text or call Donnie

Found a nest?
Text Donnie a photo.