Paper wasp sting
A paper wasp sting usually shows up as a red welt with a bright centre and firm swelling, red, appearing immediate sharp pain. It peaks around 1 to 12 hours and generally lasts a few days for swelling. Usually single is the usual arrangement.
| Looks like | a red welt with a bright centre and firm swelling |
|---|---|
| Pattern | usually single |
| Size | 10–60 mm |
| Appears | immediate sharp pain |
| Worst at | 1 to 12 hours |
| Lasts | a few days for swelling |
| Itch | ●●●○○ 3/5 |
| Pain | ●●●●○ 4/5 |
| Usually on | hands, head, arms — often while gardening or opening a shutter |
| Active | May to September, daytime |
How to tell it apart
Paper wasps are slimmer and longer-legged than yellowjackets and far less aggressive away from the nest — most stings happen when someone opens a shutter or reaches under an eave. The nest is an open, downward-facing honeycomb on a single stalk, unlike the enclosed grey ball of a hornet.
Where and when you meet it
Habitat: open honeycomb nests under eaves, in shutters, on garden furniture and playground equipment.
Across 30,258 verified US records in the GBIF biodiversity database, sightings of Polistes dominula concentrate in June to September. That is the window when bites are most likely — it is observation data rather than a guess, and it shifts with latitude.
States with the most recorded sightings
- California 5,765 records
- New York 2,564 records
- Washington 2,216 records
- Colorado 2,136 records
- Oregon 1,638 records
- Ohio 1,424 records
- Utah 1,367 records
- Illinois 1,344 records
- Massachusetts 1,300 records
- Pennsylvania 1,294 records
- Idaho 1,015 records
- Minnesota 1,014 records
Record counts reflect where people report and identify specimens, not exact abundance. They are useful for ruling a species in, not for ruling it out.
Where it is recorded
| Country | Records | Peak months there |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 30,258 | June to September |
| Germany | 20,489 | June to August |
| Canada | 9,039 | July to September |
| France | 4,506 | June to August |
| Australia | 752 | November to March |
| United Kingdom | 65 | April to August |
Verified records from the GBIF biodiversity database across the seven countries we cover. A country missing from this table means we have no records for it, not that the species is absent.
What it means for you
Because they defend only the immediate area around the nest, paper wasps rarely cause multiple stings. The reaction pattern is the same as any wasp sting: local pain and swelling in most people, and true allergy in a small minority.
Seek medical care if
Call emergency services now for difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, dizziness or fainting, or hives spreading away from the bite.
- breathing difficulty, throat tightness or faintness
- stings to the mouth or eye
- symptoms away from the sting site
Care at home
- cold pack, antihistamine, pain relief
- adrenaline auto-injector if previously prescribed
- keep the limb elevated to limit swelling
Preventing the next one
- check under eaves and inside shutters before working there
- remove small nests early in the season, professionally if large
Common questions
How do I know it was a paper wasp?
Paper wasps are slimmer and longer-legged than yellowjackets and far less aggressive away from the nest — most stings happen when someone opens a shutter or reaches under an eave. The nest is an open, downward-facing honeycomb on a single stalk, unlike the enclosed grey ball of a hornet.
How long does a paper wasp sting last?
Typically a few days for swelling, peaking around 1 to 12 hours.
When is it a problem?
Seek care for: breathing difficulty, throat tightness or faintness; stings to the mouth or eye; symptoms away from the sting site.
Can it transmit disease?
No human disease is known to be transmitted by this species in the United States. The practical risk is infection from scratching.
Get a photo assessment in the app
Everything above is free to read. The app adds what a page cannot: point your camera at the bite and get an assessment of the most likely cause, a severity read, and a day-by-day care plan — including the specific signs that mean you should be seen.
iPhone and iPad. Free to download.