Polistes nest 5, MD, side

Here we present a series of pictures of Polistes wasp nests with lavae, pupae, eggs, and interlopers. These nests came from a set of moss field chickadee style nest boxes that we had hoped would attract nesting bumble bees, but attracted exactly zero, but on the other hand they were dynamite for Paper Wasps (did not determine the species involved as we were too busy avoiding getting stung). Pictures by Wayne Boo, assistance by Cathy Stragar and Sydney Price in nest wrangling. All nests from Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C.