Look up at the eaves, the underside of the outdoor table, the top corner of the gate. Sooner or later there is a small grey honeycomb with a dozen wasps sitting on it, watching you.
Where you’ll see it
Anywhere sheltered and out of the rain. They favour the undersides of things: roofs, railings, furniture, the inside of a rarely used gas meter box.
What to know
Paper wasps are not aggressive away from the nest. They hunt caterpillars and are, on balance, useful. The trouble is proximity. A nest by a door you use ten times a day is a nest that will eventually be knocked, and they defend it as a group.
Knock a nest down at dusk, when the colony is home and slow, and be ready to walk away briskly. If someone in the household reacts badly to stings, do not do it yourself.
