of cells beneath the ones already built. They 

 attach each new comb with a sturdy paper stem. 



Polistes also enlarge their nests. But instead 

 of building new layers, they add cells to the 

 original comb. 



Among mud daubers, nest building is com- 

 pleted when the female has constructed a group 

 of cells, provisioned them with spiders, and de- 

 posited eggs. She may then construct a second 

 group of cells in another location. 



With the onset of cold weather, the paper nests 

 of the hornets, yellow jackets, and Polistes are 

 abandoned by the insects. The old nests are never 

 again used. They usually disintegrate or are torn 

 to pieces by birds or squirrels. The insects are 

 perpetuated over the winter by the hibernating 

 queens. 



The clay-cell nests of the mud daubers do not 

 disintegrate. The insects overwinter in them in 

 the pupal stage. 



HOW TO CONTROL WASPS 



Wasps can be controlled by applying an insecti- 

 cidal spray or dust to their nests. Chlordane, 

 dieldrin, and DDT are effective for this purpose. 

 They are available from insecticide dealers as 

 emulsifiable concentrates and wettable powders, 

 from which sprays can be prepared, or as dusts and 

 oil solutions ready for use. 



Use a household or garden-type applicator for 

 spraying and a hand duster for dusting. 



Dusts are easy to apply to some hornets' and 

 yellow jackets' nests, whether above or under the 

 ground. The extension tube on a garden-type 

 duster can be inserted into the nest opening. Two 

 or three strong puffs of dust will filter through 

 the nest, and will usually kill the colony within 24 

 hours. A shovelful of moist earth thrown over 

 the entrance of a colony in the ground after treat- 

 ment will prevent the dying wasps from gaining 

 the surface. You can also treat an underground 

 nest by pouring several ounces of carbon tetra- 

 chloride into the opening and then plugging it with 

 absorbent cotton. 



Do your control work at night when the wasps 

 are less active and most of them are in their nests. 

 Apply insecticides to the nests, concentrating on 

 the openings. Use (1) a 5- or 6-percent chlordane 

 dust, a 5- or 10-percent DDT dust, or a 1-percent 

 dieldrin dust, or (2) a 2-percent chlordane oil solu- 

 tion, a 5-percent DDT oil solution, or a 0.5-percent 

 dieldrin oil solution, or (3) an emulsion or suspen- 

 sion spray. An emulsion spray can be prepared by 

 mixing a chlordane, DDT, or dieldrin emulsifiable 

 concentrate with water; a suspension spray, by 

 mixing a DDT or a chlordane wettable powder with 



water. You can prepare effective sprays for con- 

 trolling wasps by using any one of the formula- 

 tions given in the following table : 



Emulsifiable Ounces to 1 quart 



concentrates of water 



25-percent DDT 6 



45-percent chlordane 2 



15-percent dieldrin l 



Ounces to 1 quart 

 Wettable poivders of water 



50-percent DDT .3 



40-percent chlordane li/, 



It may be possible to dislodge hornets' and yel- 

 low jackets' nests and dispose of them in a sack 

 or other suitable container. Before dislodging 

 a nest, plug the opening with absorbent cotton 

 that has been soaked in carbon tetrachloride ; the 

 fumes will stun the wasps and you can then move 

 the nest with less danger of being stung. Work 

 quickly. After the nest is dislodged, burn or bury 

 it, or put it into a can containing a few table- 

 spoonfuls of carbon tetrachloride and seal the can 

 tightly. 



A 5-percent DDT oil solution, a 2-percent chlor- 

 dane oil solution, or a 0.5-percent dieldrin oil solu- 

 tion can be used effectively to control wasps in the 

 home. Numerous ready-to-use formulations and 

 aerosol bombs containing pyrethrum and other in- 

 secticides are approved for household use and may 

 be purchased at many supermarkets, hardware 

 stores, and drug stores. Most of these commercial 

 products will give effective control of wasps if used 

 according to the manufacturer's directions. 



PRECAUTIONS 



Most insecticides are toxic. . . . Keep in- 

 secticides where children and pets cannot reach 

 them. . . . When applying them, do not contami- 

 nate food, dishes, or kitchen utensils. ... Do 

 not store them with food. ... Do not breathe 

 the spray mist or dust. ... If insecticide is 

 spilled on the skin, wash it off promptly. . . . 

 Change your clothes if you spill insecticide on 

 them. . . . When you have finished applying an 

 insecticide, clean the sprayer or duster, and wash 

 all exposed surfaces of the body with soap and 

 water. . . . Use carbon tetrachloride outdoors; 

 avoid inhaling its fumes. 



CICADA KILLERS 



Cicada killers are solitary, ground-nesting 

 wasps that are common in many sections of the 

 country. They are large (about U/2 inches long) 



