I tend to let my paper wasps have free reign of the yard. I currently have at least 5 different nests, and, as long as they don't sting us, they get to stay. Full disclosure - one DID sting Shawn but by the time I went out and bought wasp spray for him to spray the nest he was over his anger at getting stung so that nest earned a reprieve.
The benefit of wasps is that they keep the yard caterpillar free. The downfall is wasps is that they'll also keep your yard free of the caterpillars you actually want (i.e. the monarch caterpillars). Thus, if I find monarch caterpillars, I have to raise them in the house. I've previously written about this so I won't rehash all of that here, BUT I figure y'all would like to see the videos I got earlier this summer of both the beginning and the end of the pupation stage. (As we are now in fall migration mode, be sure to cut that tropical milkweed to the ground for the rest of the year - we want those butterflies making their way down to Mexico, not getting waylaid by thinking it's time to mate)
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