Mud dauber (sometimes called "dirt dauber," "dirt digger," "dirt dobber," "dirt diver", or "mud wasp") is a name commonly applied to a number of
wasps from either the family
Sphecidae or
Crabronidae that build their nests from mud. Mud daubers, as they belong to different families, are variable in appearance, but most resemble long, slender wasps about in length;. The name refers to the nests that are made by the female wasps, which consist of mud molded into place by the wasp's
mandibles. Mud daubers are not aggressive and stings are very uncommon.