Paper Wasps Hiding in Electrical Outlet in Farmingdale, NJ

I went out on a service call for a new commercial client, a senior housing community in Farmingdale, NJ. The property manager complained of seeing wasps near the retention pond area of the community. As I began my inspection I noticed several wasps hovering over an electrical outlet on the exterior of the building. I inspected the outlet and came across a community of wasps inside the outlet. A closer inspection told me that these were paper wasps.

Paper wasps generally have a similar body shape to yellowjackets, but are somewhat slimmer with a thin “waist,” with six long legs, an almost triangular side view, as well as two wings and antennae. They are mostly brown with some yellow coloration. Their nests are recognized as an open comb with the egg chambers visible. The fertilized eggs go through a larval stage before becoming an adult wasp. The nest that looks like paper, hence the wasp's name, is actually made from tree bark that the wasp chews to form the nest with perfect hexagonal cell chamber walls. They prefer to build their nests in protected areas such as under eaves, behind shutters, or in the case here, inside of an electrical outlet. 

I decided that the most effective method to safely treat the nest was to apply a direct contact solution. This solution is designed to immediately eliminate the paper wasps on contact. The application is extremely fast and effective. In fact, after waiting just five minutes, I was able to safely remove the wasp nest from the outlet box. Now the community can enjoy a safe and pest-free environment.