Yellow jacket wasp nests have a distinctive appearance, varying slightly depending on their location and stage of development. Here’s what they typically look like:
- Shape and Structure: Nests are generally round or oval, resembling a papery, grayish, or brownish football or teardrop. They have a layered, honeycomb-like internal structure made of chewed wood fibers mixed with wasp saliva, giving a papier-mâché texture.
- Color: The exterior is usually gray, tan, or light brown, with a rough, scaly surface. The material may appear streaked or mottled due to different wood sources.
- Size: Nests in cities like Findlay start small (golf ball-sized in spring) but can grow to the size of a basketball or larger by late summer, containing thousands of wasps. Underground nests may be less visible but have similar internal structures.
- Entrance: A single, small hole (about 1-2 inches wide) serves as the entry/exit point, often with wasps actively flying in and out. Underground nests have this hole at ground level, while aerial nests have it on the lower side.