How Old Do Wasps Get?

Depending on the species, the life cycle of wasps varies. A social wasp can live up to a year, while a solitary wasp can live for up to four weeks.

A social wasp lives in colonies, which are made up of a queen, worker and drone wasps. Each colony produces one to two thousand queen bees each season. This is done by the female wasps mating. The queen of the colony is responsible for finding a suitable nesting site and coordinating with the other wasp nests.

Once a queen has mated, she lays eggs in a nest. The eggs hatch into a larva, and the larva molts periodically. The larvae grow until they transform into a pupa. The pupa encloses its body in a cocoon, which protects it from parasites. Its body is soft and flexible.

During the winter, the female wasp hibernates. When the spring arrives, she starts building a nest. She uses wood fibres and saliva to build a structure. She collects nectar from flowers to provide food for the larvae. After a few weeks, the larvae transform into workers. They then gather food, build the nest, and defend it. The workers keep the nest clean and provide food for the queen.

Worker wasps live for around two weeks. The queen is responsible for laying eggs, while the worker wasps feed the larvae and guard the nest.

Drone wasps live for around four weeks. The worker wasps help the queen build the nest, and work to feed the drones.