German Wasp
While it is native to Europe, northern Africa and warmer parts of Asia, the German wasp has managed to expand into much of the Northern Hemisphere. It is now firmly rooted in The Americas, Australia and New Zealand.
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These flying insects build grayish paper nests and are sometimes referred to as paper wasps because of this. However, the term is a misnomer. If you live in North America you may be used to hearing them called yellow jackets. Three dots on the face distinguish them from other members of the family. Adults are about a half inch in length and are black and yellow in color.
Yellow jackets build nests by chewing plant fibers and allowing saliva to mix with the material to form a compound used for construction of the shelters. The nests are generally found on, near or under the ground. You might think this would make the structure prone to invaders such as ants, but the winged insects have that angle covered. They produce a chemical that repels would be invaders and spread it around the base of the dwelling.
The nests are started by a lone female, who will be queen of the future colony. She will build twenty to thirty cells before beginning to lay the eggs that will produce the next generation. More cells will be added along.
