Paper Wasps

My wife and I have been entertained off and on for the last few days watching paper wasps making a nest under the eaves of the house. There seems to be a common flight path to and from the nest which involves a trip along the power cable – I wonder if someone can inform me as to why they do this. Their efforts however came to naught when we found the nest lying on the ground empty, the local ants had had a feast– see photograph of nest.
Facts courtesy of CSIRO
Paper wasps belong to the insect order Hymenoptera. They can be found across mainland south-eastern Australia and in southern Western Australia. Paper wasps are social insects and make their nests of grey papery material by mixing saliva and wood fibres. Paper wasps are a social wasp consisting of small colonies of 12-20 individuals. Adult wasps feed on nectar and make ‘paper’ nests by mixing saliva and wood fibres.
Nests are a nursery where larvae are kept one to each cell. The larvae are fed on chewed-up caterpillars caught by the adults. The cells are then capped and the larvae pupate. Most paper wasps die in autumn or winter, while some hibernate to start new nests next season.
 Paper wasps have some beneficial value as predators of pest caterpillars, however they have a painful sting and will attack any person approaching or disturbing their nest.
Michael Moore