When Do Wasps Build Nests?
WouterUsually, wasps build nests in high, protected locations. These places include chimneys, roofs, second floor windows, porch overhangs, and even bird boxes.
These colonies die out in the winter, and when the weather becomes warmer, they re-emerge in the spring. The queen wasp lays eggs into the nest cells, which hatch into fertile male and female workers.
In the spring, the nest is larger than a golf ball. The workers feed the larvae, which emerge in the summer. The next group of workers will take over the nest building duties.
The nest is constructed of wood fiber chewed up with saliva. The queen wasp uses strong jaws to chew wood fiber and saliva into a papery structure.
The nest can be large and elaborate, or small and compact. The queen wasp lays about 10-20 eggs, which hatch into female workers. These females then begin building the nest.
The queen wasp uses sperm collected in autumn to fertilize her eggs. The eggs hatch into fertile female worker wasps, who continue building the nest. This is a surprisingly efficient process.
In the fall, the queen wasp hibernates in the house roof or an old tree. In the winter, she dies. When she re-emerges, she lays eggs into new nest cells.
Wasps also build nests to survive. These nests are built in shelters, such as sheds, barns, and garages. Wasps will also build nests in wall cavities and in the eaves of houses.
