Queens/workers are 5/8 to 3/4 inch long. Paper wasps may be yellow and black. resembling yellowjackets, or have a combination of reddish-brown, light or dark brown, and tan markings and stripes. In flight the long legs are noticeable as they dangle below the body. The abdomen has a rounded anterior, unlike that of the yellowjacket, which is blunt. Paper wasps hold their wings folded and straight along the body but flair them up and out when alarmed.

Paper wasps are semi-social insects that live in colonies of a few dozen to a hundred individuals but do not have distinct queen and worker castes. One founding queen begins a nest and will usually be joined by other inseminated females that relinquish egg-laying duties to the founder. The secondary queens act as workers but will occasionally lay eggs in the colony. If the founding queen dies, then a secondary queen will take her place to ensure colony survival. The comb is often called an “umbrella" nest because it consists of a single layer of comb that usually opens downward, occasionally sideways. The comb is not wrapped in an envelope but usually built in a well-sheltered area, such as a bird- house, beneath flashings and wooden decks, or inside eaves or structures with access to the outside.

While certainly considered beneficial insects, paper wasps are aggressive defenders of the nest and will sting repeatedly when threatened. They are commonly seen foraging in gardens and flower beds for prey and may hunt along the ground as well. The biggest risk is their sting. Paper wasps should be managed when nests are found close to human activity.