Did You Know Wasps Do Not Reuse the Same Nest?
WouterUsually, wasps do not reuse the same nest. They create a new one each year.
They build their nests from thin paper-like material that is made from wood fibers and saliva. They mix the fibers with saliva to form a malleable pulp that is strong in most weather conditions.
The wasps who create these nests are called mud daubers. The mud used to construct the nests is usually black or metallic blue. Other wasps seal over the entrance to the cell when the larvae reach the pupation stage.
The paper wasp is the most common wasp species people see. They build a small nest that looks like an umbrella with no handles in the air. It is filled with hexagonal cells. It is 3-4 inches in diameter.
The queen wasp lays eggs in the cell. The egg is then hatched into a young wasp. The queen spends the rest of her life in the nest as an egg laying machine. She is very active at the end of summer. If she emerges before she can fully mature, she could starve to death.
Other wasps bring food to the queen. The social wasp colony is made up of hornets, yellow jackets, and paper wasps. The social wasp colony builds from scratch every year. This is a very efficient way to use space.
The wasps use their nests to lay eggs and to store food. The social wasp colony builds a nest that contains hexagonal cells. This is the smallest nest a wasp can make. The nest can house hundreds of wasps.
