How Do Wasps Mate?

Compared to other insects, wasps reproduce differently. Instead of laying eggs, wasps produce larvae. These larvae are fed by wasp workers and later pupate. These pupae are usually sterile.

Wasp colonies are composed of thousands of workers and queens. Each colony is run by a caste system. The queen is the largest wasp in the colony, and her life purpose is to lay eggs. She mates with several males to fill her reproductive reserves.

In the spring and fall, queens lay eggs. These eggs hatch into larvae, which spin silk caps over their cells. Once they’re ready to pupate, the larvae eat nectar and carrion. They later emerge as adult workers.

Workers also collect food for the larvae. They then lay eggs in the hope of passing their genes to the next generation. Then they start to build the nest. They use wood pulp to make the nest’s internal chambers. These nests can range from small holes in a tree to a large cavity in a building. The size of the nest can be as large as 30 cm.

Female wasps share seventy-five percent of their genes with their sisters. But genetic diversity protects a colony from disease. This is because each female has a different gene expression pattern.

Social wasps typically mate once a year in the fall and hibernate until the spring. Queens then lay eggs that hatch into sterile female workers. These workers then help the new queen construct her nest.