cautious behavior one would exhibit when in close proximity to bees, hornets, and yellowjackets, and for good reason. Wasps are most common around a variety of structures. Most are social insects that live in colonies, and they aggressively defend their nests by stinging. Wasps can become a problem in autumn when they may disrupt outdoor activities, but otherwise are considered nuisance insects.
Wasps, order Hymenoptera, are generally 1-2 inches long, slender, narrow-waisted with long legs and are usually reddish-orange to brown or black in color. They also appear smooth-skinned and shiny. Unlike bees, which can only sting once before dying, wasps can sting repeatedly and will often do so if they feel threatened or if they are defending their nest. However, they are not overly-aggressive and will not attack humans unless provoked. Only females have the ability to sting.
Cicada Killer wasps are large, sometimes reaching up to two inches, but rarely attack and do not provoke easily. Instead, they tend to concentrate on hunting their namesake prey, the cicada. They sting and paralyze these large insects, also known as locusts, to feed to their larvae. Cicada Killer wasps are solitary insects that feed on nectar and sap. They prefer to build their nests by digging a hole in dry, soft soil and building a burrow in areas of sparse vegetation such as golf course sand traps, which can be problematic. In spite of their large size, the wasps usually ignore people but they can give a painful sting if bothered. Mating males are aggressive and more easily disturbed.
Female Cicada Killers feed, mate, and construct burrows for several weeks before beginning their hunt for cicadas in July and August. After capturing the cicada, the wasp carries it to the burrow, sealing one or two into each egg cell. The wasp grubs feed on the cicadas and develop into wasps that emerge the following summer so the emerging larvae have food. Unlike other stinging pests, they live independently rather than in colonies and do not depend on other members of a colony to share in the raising of young or the maintaining of a nest.
The Paper wasp is known by most Floridians by the sight of their nest, which is grayish-brown and looks like an upside-down umbrella and often attached to ledges and eaves by a thin stem. They feed on nectars and other sugary substances. Paper wasps are so named because their nests are made of paper fibers collected from dry wood and bark and mixed with the wasps' saliva. In each paper-fiber nest there are one or more combs, or densely packed arrays of larval cells. The adults may congregate on the combs, and the heads of the larvae are visible from the outside. This is the familiar "hornet's nest" that may house hundreds or thousands of individuals.
Most wasps are either parasitic or predators and therefore play a vital role in limiting the populations of thousands of other insect species. All wasps are eaten by other species, thereby providing many links in the food web. Many parasitic wasps have been cultured and used in the biological control of agricultural pests. Although a few of the stinging wasps are considered nuisances, they also provide benefits. Paper wasps, for example, prey on caterpillars, armyworms and other larvae that can destroy crops. Since wasps feed on flower nectar they also play a role in pollination.
All female wasps have a lance-like stinger that they can use repeatedly, causing a painful sting. Since they often attach their nests to most outdoor horizontal surface, they can cause problems in areas where there is heavy human traffic, such a picnic areas, playgrounds, etc. However, no wasp species will attack a human except in defense. Wasp venom contains agents that release histamine, which dissolves red blood cells. Most people can survive many stings, which cause temporary pain and swelling. People that are hyperallergic to stinging insects- about 1 percent of the population- should seek immediate medical treatment if stung, since it takes only one sting for these individuals to be fatal.
