Polistes carolina caresheet!

Polistes carolina

Often confused for Polistes perplexus, this orange/red wasp is a regular sight on warm days, flying about and hunting for insect prey for their young. P. Carolina is a fairly easy wasp to keep in captivity. They are a pretty docile species, not very likely to sting.

Here's what you need!

Large Kritter Keeper!
Cardboard!
Scizors!
A Hot Glue Gun!
A nest!
Wasps!
Fake plants for crawling!
Some sort of substrate!
Some sticks or twigs!
A food dish!
A water dish!
Honey!


First, Take a clean Kritter Keeper and fill it about an inch thick with your substrate!For my wasps, I generally use either gravel or a coconut husk type substrate.

Then take your cardboard and cut it into an open box-like shape. ( Hot Glue might come in handy here!)

You then want to carefully glue the nest into the box with the bottom of the nest facing the open end of the box. Then glue the box into the top corner of the terrarium!

Underneath the box you need to put your sticks, twigs, or plants. Place them evenly about the KK.

Next fill the food dish with honey, the water dish with water, and place them in the corner opposite the nest.

You can then place your queen in the nest. let her walk around for a while, spreading her scent on the nest.

If you have workers with her, put them in about 15 minuits after the queen is introduced. This helps the colony to resume normal activities.

The larvae of Polistes carolina eat just about anything. Meat, Moist Catfood, or soft bodied insects.

Thanls for sharing!

will they really take cat food?

The Larvae will accept wet cat food.

Ahhh. I wonder why adult paper wasps won't take it to feed the larvae? My colonies in the past refused it in disgust. The larvae would not mind I am sure, but the adults just won't have it

Yeah. adults ignore it, but all of the larvae I've taken care of have loved it.

Nice guide.

Thanks, I appreciate that!