Bad news if you're scared of wasps - There's a new species colonizing Edmonton

Edmonton is home to the Yellowjacket wasp, but there is another wasp that is making it’s way into Edmonton.

The first ever European Paper wasp has been discovered in our city. The paper wasp has already quickly populated southern Alberta, especially in Medicine Hat, and now it’s moving through central Alberta.

Matthias Buck, assistant curator for invertebrate zoology at the Royal Alberta Museum, said (In an interview with The Edmonton Sun) that “the paper wasp has a sting at least as painful as the Yellowjacket’s, and likes to build nests under the eaves of houses.” He also said “it looks similar to the yellow-and-black-striped Yellowjacket, but has much longer legs that dangle as it flies.  It’s also more slender and has orange, rather than black, antennae.”

Think you may have a Paper Wasp nest?? They aren’t round, you will be able to tell the difference if the nest if flat.The nests also don’t have the usual outer layer that protects the inside of the nest, rather you can see all the cells and insides openly.

If you get stung, expect local swelling around the area, similar to most stings.

BUT IF YOU HAVE WASP ALLERGIES ALREADY GET MEDICAL HELP! Please, because we don’t want anything bad to happen to you.

-The Pepper & Dylan Show

(Photo from Boris Godfried, Pintrest, millipedes on diveantart.com)