Mud Daubers

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Mud Daubers, or dirt dobbers as they are sometimes called, represent a group of thread-waisted wasps named for their nest building techniques.

Species from a variety of wasp genera go by the name mud dauber. Three of the most common mud daubers found in the United States are the Black and Yellow Mud Dauber, (Sceliphron caementarium) pictured above, the Blue Mud Dauber (Chalybion californicum) and the Pipe organ mud dauber (Trypoxylon politum).

Mud Daubers are classified as solitary wasps. Females build the mud structures, often on the sides of buildings, without the benefit of either workers or drones.

Nests consist of individual cells, home for the larvae and a paralyzed spider that serves as larvae food.

They are not considered agressive wasps, and because they hunt spiders to feed their young, they can be considered beneficial insects around the house and garden.

© 2005 Patricia A. Michaels