Paper Wasp

• A slender wasp with a narrow waist and long legs that dangle in flight.
• The body is brown, reddish, or black, often with yellow markings.
• The nest is a flat, open comb of papery cells with no outer cover.
• Nests hang under eaves, in sheds, and on branches.

Paper wasps are less aggressive than yellowjackets but will sting when a nest is disturbed. A sting is painful, and some people have allergic reactions.

• Check under eaves, in sheds, and around doors and window frames before reaching in.
• Do not disturb a nest, and keep your distance.
• Walk away calmly if a wasp lands on you.
• If you find a nest near camp or home, leave it alone and move away or call a professional.

1. Move away from the area, since some stinging insects will sting again or call others.
2. If a stinger is stuck in the skin, scrape it out quickly with a flat edge such as a fingernail or card.
3. Wash the area with soap and water, and apply a cold pack or cool cloth to ease pain and swelling.
4. Take an over-the-counter antihistamine or use hydrocortisone cream as the label directs, and avoid scratching.
5. Watch for signs of an allergic reaction for the next several hours. If the person has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector and a serious reaction, use it and call 911.

• Get emergency care right away for hives all over the body, swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, dizziness, or fainting, which can signal a severe allergic reaction.
• See a doctor for many stings at once, a sting inside the mouth or throat, or a sting site that looks infected.
• If you have ever had a serious reaction to a sting, talk to a doctor about carrying epinephrine.

Call 911 for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, a racing heart, dizziness, or fainting.

• Yellowjacket: shorter and stockier, and more aggressive near food.

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