How Many Wasps Can Be in a Nest?
WouterDepending on the species, a wasp nest can hold as few as a dozen wasps or as many as 5,000. Each species builds a nest to suit its needs. The nests can be made from wood, tree bark, or mud.
A wasp nest is a structure made of many rows of cells. The cells are lined with a layer of wood pulp. This layer helps keep the temperature and humidity inside the nest. It also protects the comb. The nest can be found in many places, including roof overhangs, wall cavities, and bird boxes.
A wasp nest can contain several queens. These queens may be laying eggs at the same time. This contributes to the rapid growth of the nest. In addition, these queens often hibernate inside the nest. This is because they cannot survive the cold temperatures of winter.
Once winter has passed, the queen will emerge and begin to build a new nest. The nest will be made of wood mixed with saliva. This mixture makes it malleable. It mimics the appearance of paper when dried.
As the nest grows, new wasps will start to build a nest of their own. This phase will continue until the colony dwindles. As the weather warms, the queen will begin to lay eggs. The eggs will hatch and grow into young wasps. The larvae are fed in the same cells as the eggs. The workers die off when the weather gets colder.
