u/nosined

I am so sad. Wasps made a small nest on my breaker box maybe in early May. One or two of them are always tending to it. ALWAYS.

Today I looked and there were no wasps and it looked like the white covering of the little tunnels were erupted so I pulled the paper nest down to look at it thinking it had run its course and then very quickly realized there were larvae inside it :(

I have 2 other slightly bigger nests that currently have 5+ wasps tending to it- why would this one have been possibly abandoned? I figured at least one was always stuck around to guard it from dummies like me.

I have 3 paper wasp nests on the house on the back patio (the yellow and black striped ones). They are always together tending to their nests, doing their thing and not worried about me moving around the back patio.

I also have a couple of solo paper wasps (black wings red bodied ones) that tend to hang out on the front porch awning or on my front door. No problem.. except for today.

I opened the front door and as I step out I feel a very sharp pain in my arm and when I check the camera you can see a wasp flying off and I have a clear spot that has a sting and it’s red and the skin is raised.

I assumed I spooked the wasp and that’s why it stung me and then flew off.

What I am mostly wondering, WHY do they hang out solo on my door and also, why are they not a part of a colony tending to a nest right now??

Are the red paper wasps and yellow striped paper wasps different socially? I’ve heard only female paper wasps have stingers so I’d think she would be helping her queen with a late summer nest or be a foundress herself.

Looking at All Trails it doesn’t look like there are many hiking opportunities in Lincoln City itself so am wondering where the best places to go nearby (maybe within an hour drive) would be?

Wanting to go hiking somewhere that has a lot of nature and moderate-hard, not the type of trail you’d see lots of families on.

Thanks for any help!!