German wasp

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Paravespula Germanica

The German wasp measures 13-20 mm and is black and yellow in color. There are 1-3 black dots on the head shield and the rear edge of the eye is completely yellow. Wasps live in nests in the form of a social association of workers and sex animals. Their roundish nests consist of a paper-like mass. Commonly found in shutter boxes, roof trusses or garden arbors. Only the queens overwinter. This is why wasps are only occasionally found in spring. The eggs of the queens develop into workers, which cause wasp infestations in late summer and fall. If the animals are extremely stressed, they become aggressive and may cause painful stings. They also feed on fruit, juices, cakes, jams and other animal proteins.

Common wasp

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Vespula vulgaris

The common wasp forms annual colonies that die in the fall. The nests are built in spring, mainly in the ground (rodent burrows) or in heaps of stones. However, the queen also regularly founds her colony in buildings, e.g. in attics or garden sheds. The cardboard-like nests can reach a circumference of up to 2 m and contain 10 superimposed honeycomb tiers. The honeycomb layers are surrounded by a protective shell containing numerous shell-shaped air pockets. Colonies can become quite large and consist of up to 5,000 wasps. All the wasps in a colony die in the fall – with the exception of the young queens that hatched in late summer. These found a new colony the following spring. This is a native wasp species that is very common throughout Germany. The animals regularly build their nests in sheds, garages or attics and are considered typical cultural successors. The harmful effect of the common wasp is the same as that of the German wasp.