In my yard tool shed every summer I have 4 or 5 paperwasp nests hanging there and I have found other places where there are several of these paperwasp nests close to each other. This sounds like something looking for a reason to exist to me. These paperwasps have always been very gentle and do not mind my messing around near their nests, unlike their cousins the Yellow Jackets that most often nest in the ground and are just mean and ornery.

I had about 6 wasps making a nest under the eave of my back patio for the past month or so. My patio is enclosed with windows so I didn't feel the need to disturb them and enjoyed watching them built their next and seeing it grow bigger each day. Last week, by the time they had about 4 little eggs in the holes of the nest, I went out in the morning to see the nest gone and laying on the ground! The landscaper for the hoa found it and knocked it down sometime that morning. I even saw some spray residue on my window. I was pretty pissed and upset for those poor wasps. Now a week later, there's 3 wasps left and they've started a new nest, but only a very tiny ball...much smaller than the original nest and they seem to be just hanging off it. They're hardly moving at all and I feel so sorry for them. Are they dying because it's late in the season and they don't have the energy to start a whole new nest? I feel so badly for them. They're just clinging to the tiny new nest and each other and hardly moving at all. Are they grieving? Dying? I wish I could help the poor little things. I have another nest in the front on the inside the porch light. Landscaper obviously hasn't seen that one (hopefully never does!) and I pass it pretty close when entering and exiting my house daily. They never bother me and I don't bother them.

thank you! i thought mud daubers, but all three seemed so different. the bottom nest on the flat part of the wall did not hve any exit holes the last time i checked. it seems, taht the tubes which showed up last year did not hve any exits until this year. on the top photo, the dark spots in the holes, are those larvae not sealed off yet? it is haard to tell by the photo, but there were things in there, but i didn't want to disturb anything. daubers are ok, and i certainly have LOADS of spiders. i would prefer different smaler predatory wasps. i did see a somewhat large blue-black wasp in the shed but not near the nests. unfortunately, i post before i search- my field guide has mud dauber as black and yellow. obviously there are different species, i tell myself... thanks again!

For wasps, take a bar of soap & rub it across the inside of the top & back of the box. That's supposed to keep them from building nests. As far as ants go, grease the pole with something like petroleum jelly to keep them from climbing up pole. One of the best things to use for insects is Diatemaceous (sp?) Earth powder once the problem occurs. Don't use any sort of insecticide spray. It will often kill the babies (that includes lawn pesticides). Go to Sialis.org & search your questions. It will give you all the bluebird expertise you need to know. Good luck!