Wasp identification

[stinkbelly]

I have had a ton of these wasps show up around my land this year. They are all attached to barns, sheds, buildings, etc. There have been 5 or 6 nests in a single stall in the barn. The weird thing is they don't seem aggressive. What type of wasp are they? All are on paper nests. These are pics of some after I sprayed them.

[Walker]

Looks like a paper wasp to me.

[DedDuk]

ginnea wasp

[stinkbelly]

They do look like the guinea wasp. They are new to me. The paper wasps I usually have attack me for just walking by. These tolerate almost anything. I have put a lawn mower just a couple feet from 3 nests and they just dance around on the nest. I had a donkey in a stall flopping his ear 1 inch from a nest and they did nothing. I don't know why they are all over my land this year. They haven't been here before.

[Drycreek3189]

They do look like the guinea wasp. They are new to me. The paper wasps I usually have attack me for just walking by. These tolerate almost anything. I have put a lawn mower just a couple feet from 3 nests and they just dance around on the nest. I had a donkey in a stall flopping his ear 1 inch from a nest and they did nothing. I don't know why they are all over my land this year. They haven't been here before.

They look like the same wasps we had in Ballinger when I leased there. I cut some 2 3/8” pipe legs in half once with a chop saw and they kept flying out from under the guard where they had a nest. Never tried to sting me. We always had nests in the shed next to our cabin and under our cabin porch. They would also build in our stands. In 18 years I got stung once, it crawled up my pants leg and I mashed it. I don’t much blame it for an act of self defense !

[EZ-10RANCH]

They look like the same wasps we had in Ballinger when I leased there. I cut some 2 3/8” pipe legs in half once with a chop saw and they kept flying out from under the guard where they had a nest. Never tried to sting me. We always had nests in the shed next to our cabin and under our cabin porch. They would also build in our stands. In 18 years I got stung once, it crawled up my pants leg and I mashed it. I don’t much blame it for an act of self defense !

I’m wondering what kind they are as well. Had the same wasp out by Coleman years ago. Not at all aggressive. They would bunch up in the blinds for warmth during deer season. Once they would warm up in the morning, they’d just fly out of the blind. I didn’t bother them and they bother me.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Those are indeed paper wasps... Not known for aggression at all. A guinea wasp, however will jump on you just for lookin' at 'em wrong... That's a different wasp... These paper wasps are much larger than guinea wasps, and guinea wasps carry their wings in a pizzed off attitude pretty much all the time... These carry their wings in a much lower attitude, almost folded most of the time until they get ready to fly, or if you stir 'em up... We had thousands of these paper wasps on our place along the Rio Grande... very seldom did anyone get stung, and most of those stings were "self defense" also... generally related to putting a body part on 'em because you didn't see 'em when you entered your stand or sat down... They do pack a whollup however if they do nail you! Dang stinger looks like a hypodermic syringe needle!!

[Etxbuckman]

Guinea wasps are a type of paper wasp. So are red wasps.

The first picture is a red paper wasp. The second is a guinea paper wasp.

[Bisch]

I got hammered by one of those red wasps last week!!!! 😡

Bisch

[justletmein]

We always called them paper wasps. They actually feed on nectar and pollinate.

[BTLowry]

No wasp expert here

But Charlie is right about the guinea wasps having a bad disposition

If I find a guinea wasp nest I will usually take it out before they get me when I can

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

Red ones aren’t any better. They also sting just for the heck of it.

[Drycreek3189]

X2 on post #11 & #12. Hate them suckers ! I ain’t in love with black ones either !

[SaltwaterSlick]

Indeed they are all "paper wasps", but Just like banana and jalapenos are both peppers, there are very different varieties... My descriptions above are accurate, and indeed you can add that red paper wasp to the list of just pizzed off all the time... Those big size paper wasps have a totally different attitude and are extremely docile for a wasp. You can literally brush them out of your deer blind and they'll just fly away... you do that to a bunch of guinea or red wasps, and IT'S ON! You better be ready to do serious battle until they get you or you kill every last one of them!

[justletmein]

I haven't had that experience with the red paper wasps. I actually went to move a trailer once and grabbed a whole nest of them that were right inside the tube hole beneath the hitch. They flew out and buzzed around and went right back in, didn't chase me around or anything.