Does It Get Too Hot For Wasps?
WouterWhether or not it gets too hot for wasps is an important question to ask. Wasps are a variety of different species that can be found in many different habitats. Several species are highly territorial and will attack without provocation. They can be found in homes, garages, sheds, and tropical forests.
The wasp life cycle is highly complicated. In winter, queen wasps enter hibernation. They will build a nest in a tree or roofing. Worker wasps will protect the queen. They will also feed the queen.
The temperature inside the wasp’s body is up to 2.5degC higher than the ambient temperature. This is used to preserve energy. However, when the temperature drops below 50deg F, wasps’ metabolism slows down. This decreases their ability to fly, and will kill them.
In warmer temperatures, insects forage for longer periods of time. Their ability to heat their bodies comes at a very high energy cost. They generate heat from the sugars they metabolize in their bodies.
Wasps can also heat up when they are angry. This occurs when their flight muscles are overused. They will also regurgitate liquids from their stomach. This regurgitation helps to control their body temperature. However, artificial sweating has not been observed yet.
Some wasp species can survive temperatures as high as 123 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that they can survive a very hot summer. However, some of them do not thrive in warmer temperatures. It is possible that climate change may affect the number of wasps in the future.
