Paper Wasps Starting Their Nest on Mailbox in Jackson, NJ

Tuesday, September 29th, 2026 by Dave Wilson

Challenge

As we treating this home in Jackson, NJ, we noticed a few paper wasps flying around the mailbox. So we took a closer look and found the beginnings of a small nest on the side of the mailbox!

Also called umbrella wasps, paper wasps are semi-social stinging insects that usually have brown bodies with yellow or reddish markings. They received their name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. They live in small colonies and do not have a worker caste (which is why they are semi-social insects).

Solution

We applied a knockdown aerosol and a knockdown dusting application to the nest. These treatments are both going to rapidly exterminate the paper wasps. After some time passed, we removed the nest and then applied a liquid residual to the area. This application will neutralize any paper wasps that return to the area and prevent them (and any other stinging insect) from building another nest around the mailbox.