During your time outdoors this summer, you might spot a red paper wasp. These insects, known for their red and black coloring, are found all across Texas. Be careful though: these wasps are more likely to sting you than others.
Ethan Placke, conservation technician at Houston Parks Board, tells us more:
“While you may spot one of these wasps flying with a caterpillar or some other prey, the adults are likely to feed on pollen or nectar like their close relatives, P. Carolina. Since these are a eusocial species, they are more likely to sting you than a lot of our other native wasp and bee species, but only if you’re around their nest, as they just want to defend their home. These nest-guarding habits were very, very fresh in my mind when I laid down to sleep in the ranch house I stayed at in college while I did fieldwork. Looking up to see a group of these on the ceiling above my head was quite the motivation to sleep somewhere else that night.”
While you’re trying not to get stung by these wasps, you’ll also want to watch out for these toxic hammerhead flatworms. [City Cast Houston 🎧]
