Paper wasps are responsible for numerous stinging incidents reported to healthcare professionals and pest management professionals in North America every year, making them a medically important group of insects. Current methods for treating paper wasp nesting sites rely heavily on chemicals. In 2008, we evaluated a new technique of painting overhead eaves a light blue to prevent paper wasp nesting. At the conclusion of this study, there were no paper new nests on the painted eaves. As a result, we expanded the project in 2009.Overall, there were fewer paper wasp nests found on the painted eaves. At the one month observation, there were significantly fewer paper wasp nests found on eaves painted in both 2008 and 2009. Also at the two and three month observations, there were fewer paper wasp nests found on the painted eaves compared to the unpainted eaves, even though no significance was found

Kimberly Schofield, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Department of Entomology, AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Texas A&M System

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