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Red Paper Wasp (Polistes carolina and related species)
Identify it, prevent it, and know when to call. A South Florida guide from Pro-Spray.
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What Is a Red Paper Wasp?
Red paper wasps build gray, papery nests with open cells facing down, hung from a short stalk. Several reddish Polistes wasps live in Florida and look alike. Like other paper wasps, they feed on caterpillars and other insects, but a nest near a doorway or pool area puts people at risk of stings.
How to Identify Them
They're long-legged wasps with legs dangling in flight, reddish bodies and dark wings. Compare with the paper wasp page for brown and yellow-marked species, and yellowjackets, which are stockier and nest in the ground or in enclosed nests.
Life Cycle
A mated queen starts a new nest, laying one egg per cell and caring for the first young herself. Once workers emerge, they take over building and feeding while the queen keeps laying. Later in the season, new queens and males are produced. In our mild climate, nests can stay active much longer than in colder states.
Look-alikes and How to Tell Them Apart
- Other paper wasps: brown or with yellow markings; same nest style.
- Yellowjackets: stockier, with bold bands, and they nest in the ground or in enclosed paper nests.
- Mud daubers: thread-thin waist and mud nests; rarely sting.
- Velvet ants: fuzzy and red, but wingless (females) and found on the ground.
Where They Nest Around South Florida Homes
Under eaves, soffits and gutters; behind hurricane shutters and inside shutter tracks; on porch and lanai ceilings; inside mailboxes, grills, light fixtures and hollow fence posts; and on playsets and pool enclosure frames.
When to Call a Pro
Call if nests are near doors, play areas or the pool, if a nest is large or out of reach, or if anyone in the household is allergic to stings.
Signs of Red Paper Wasps
- Open-cell paper nests under eaves, shutters or patio ceilings
- Reddish wasps hovering at doors, windows and light fixtures
- Wasps chewing on wood fences or furniture for nest material
Is it dangerous?
- Stings
Painful sting; they defend nests near doors and walkways.
Prevention Tips
- Check eaves, shutters and the grill in spring for small starter nests.
- Seal gaps in soffits and attic vents.
- Keep sweet drinks and food covered outdoors.
- Don't swat or spray a large nest yourself; stings come in numbers.
How Pro-Spray Treats Red Paper Wasps
We treat and remove paper wasp nests on and around the home (eaves, soffits, shutters, play sets, fences and pool cages) with products labeled for wasps, and check for more nests nearby. Regular service keeps new nests from getting established. We don't treat flowering plants or shrubs. Our Bug Free Guarantee: If pests come back between visits, so do we, at no extra cost.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are red paper wasps aggressive?
When should I remove a wasp nest?
What if I'm allergic?
Reviewed October 2026 by Pro-Spray's family-run team
Pests don't wait.
Protect your home today.
Get $50 OFF your first pest service and a FREE inspection & estimate. Ongoing protection is $125 quarterly (about $42/month), with no contracts and no cancellation fees.
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