How Many Wasps Start a Nest?
WouterUnlike bees, wasps do not nest inside homes. Instead, they build their nests anywhere. They prefer hollow trees and rock crevices. You can locate their nests by searching under the porch or between the roof and walls of your house.
Wasp colonies are made up of non-reproductive workers and a single queen. The queen is responsible for laying eggs and producing fertile males. Once eggs have been laid, the queen is ready to begin the nest building process. She will scrape wood fiber with her strong jaws and saliva. Her saliva forms a pulp like substance.
The number of wasps living in a nest varies by type. A German Wasp colony can have up to 1500 individuals. Yellowjacket colonies can reach 2,000. Baldfaced hornet colonies can have hundreds.
The queen of a wasp colony is responsible for preparing the cells for the eggs. When a new queen arrives, she begins the search for a new nest. If the weather is warm, she may hibernate in the nest. In the spring, she emerges from hibernation and begins the nest building process. She lays a single egg in each cell.
The size of a wasp nest is dependent on its type. A paper wasp colony may have 12 to 100 workers. They build their nests in hexagonal cells. This helps keep the young wasps safe.
During the spring and summer, the nests expand rapidly. During this time, a single queen will begin building a nest by constructing hexagon cells. This is followed by the production of more workers. The reproductive phase of a wasp colony continues until the colony declines.
