How Do Wasps Stay in Their Nest in Winter?
WouterDuring the summer, when temperatures are warm, social wasps of many species gather in large numbers. In winter, when conditions are less favorable, these species hibernate in wood or underground. Some wasps, such as paper wasps, hide in warm attics or wall voids.
When winter comes, most social wasps die off. Their food source is diminished by the arrival of autumn and the cold weather. Their mandibles, which are similar to a crab claw, are used for catching prey. They are also used for building and maintaining their nests.
If conditions remain warm during the winter, some queens may emerge early from hibernation. However, this can be dangerous if food sources are limited. The queen may starve to death if she is not able to find food quickly.
When the weather warms again, the queen lays eggs in a new nest. She then hibernates until spring when food is plentiful. The new queen searches for a suitable location to build a nest.
A new queen may also find a place to hibernate for the rest of the winter. Some queens die during hibernation, though, due to predators or predatory insects. Other queens die because they have no food.
After hibernating for the winter, the queen re-emerges in spring to search for a new location to build her nest. During this period, she produces about a thousand to a fifteen hundred new queens. These queens are also able to mate and lay eggs, thereby ensuring the future of the colony.
