Wasp identity

[chopsknives]

They are looking for a spider to lay their egg in . Got em here in deep east tx by the gross!! When you live at the lake you have millions more spiders so you have millions more wasps. Most of your black colored wasps are hunting a spider. Most wasps with yellow are ill tempered I believe the bright color is a warning to all!! I keep a few badminton rackets laying around, for some reason they can't sense the strings and they are easy prey! Smart too I can pick up the racket and spin it and they hightail it away!

[BTLowry]

They really like my wood porch, not sure why. They land and stick their tails way up in the air and look like they are eating the wood or something. I thought maybe they where some type of wood bee but I think those look more like bumbles, way bigger bodies.

Making paper

They chew off bits and use it to build the paper nest

You would think chewing on treated lumber would kill them

[Man]

I almost lost my right eye doing what she's doing with my Red Ryder.

[GarGuy]

Making paper

They chew off bits and use it to build the paper nest

You would think chewing on treated lumber would kill them

Exactly right. Not a driver. That sucker will sting you and it hurts. Not as aggressive as other wasp but stir the nest and your butt is in trouble.

[chopsknives]

They must have a relative that looks very similar - just watched one drag a spider down between the floor boards. Tried to get a pic but he was gone! Got a pic of this one who just finished with a spider too! Always black wasps on the spiders some with yellow bands. I do have a paper sack taped to a tree right off the porch and haven't had a red wasp prob since! Paper wasps are even scary to other wasps!!!

[chopsknives]

So I googled paper wasps and then I googled spider wasps and there are actually some that are identical to your pic black with yellow bands in both groups. Spider wasps are more solitary and paper wasps are more of a burn it down species!!