SIZE: 5/8 to 1 inch

COLOR: Reddish-brown with a yellow circle

DESCRIPTION: Paper wasps have longer legs and slenderer bodies than yellow jackets and hornets. Their abdomen taper at both ends. Paper wasps are sometimes called "umbrella wasps" because their nests consist of a single exposed comb suspended by a narrow stalk.

HABITAT: Paper wasps may be more inclined to build nests in attics than yellow jackets or hornets because their nests lack an outer covering.

LIFE CYCLE: Similar to other social wasps, paper wasps abandon their nests in the autumn, with the mated queens overwintering. A queen killed in the fall or early spring will eliminate an entire nest during the summer.

TYPE OF DAMAGE: Can give a severe sting