Found this hard, foam-like brown structure attached to a fence post in the backyard. I was about to scrape it off but hesitated. What is it?
🕷️ How to Tell It Apart from a Wasp Nest
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Feature
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Praying Mantis Ootheca
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Paper Wasp Nest
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|---|---|---|
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Shape
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Solid, oblong foam mass
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Open honeycomb cells under a papery dome
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Surface
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Rough, bubbly, uniform
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Smooth gray paper with visible holes
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Activity
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No insects coming/going (dormant in winter)
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Wasps flying in/out (if active)
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Season
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Laid in fall; hatches in spring
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Built in spring/summer; abandoned by winter
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