Bug FAQMedian Wasp
Dolichovespula media · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Vespidae
Source: Wikipedia
Median wasps are medium to large, about 16 to 22 mm long, with yellow and black striped abdomens. They build open paper nests 1 to 5 m above ground in shrubs, trees, or under eaves, and are most often seen from May to October. Workers forage for insects, nectar, and wood, and the colony lasts about 3.3 months from early May to late August.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They have a yellow face with a thin black line, large yellow areas behind the eyes, and a shiny black thorax with four orange-tinged yellow spots.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 16 to 22 mm (0.63 to 0.87 in) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Nests are often built in visible places on shrubs or houses, so people may disturb and destroy them.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Because nests are built in the open, people often destroy them when they are disturbed. Median wasps are easily scared off and usually do not become aggressive.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Nests are made of paper and hang 1 to 5 m above ground in shrubs, trees, or sometimes under house eaves.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Workers collect insects, nectar, and wood for nest building, even when temperatures are as low as 7 °C.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
A single queen starts the nest in early May after hibernation, and the colony develops for about 3.3 months.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are most commonly seen between May and October during their colony cycle.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
They occur across Europe and temperate Asia, reaching as far east as Japan.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Queens can be mistaken for hornets because of their reddish colour, but their thoracic spots and deep black colour set them apart.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
Do median wasps sting?
Yes, they will sting if their nest is threatened, but the sting is comparable to other wasps and is generally mild.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I get rid of a median wasp nest?
Since the nests are built in the open, they can be removed or destroyed when they are disturbed, and the wasps are easily scared off.
Source: Wikipedia
Where do median wasps build their nests?
They construct aerial paper nests 1 to 5 m above ground in shrubs, trees, or sometimes under the eaves of buildings.
Source: Wikipedia
When are median wasps active?
Adults are most commonly seen from May through October during their 3.3-month colony cycle.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Vespidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_wasp
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.