When Do Wasps Leave the Nest?
WouterUnlike hornets and bees, wasps tend to use their nest only once. They can be aggressive and sting humans.
Social wasps tend to nest in crevices, hollow trees, or manmade structures. Their nests are made of wood mixed with saliva. The queen builds the nest, laying about 10 to 20 eggs. The nest is about the size of a golf ball.
The queen wasp has a life expectancy of one year. She produces eggs that form new queens. The queen is responsible for plant pollination, much like honey bees. The queen wasp will hibernate in the winter months.
When it comes to food sources, the wasp’s main source is nectar from flowers. It also relies on fallen fruit. The food sources diminish as the season progresses and the temperatures fall.
The wasp’s food sources disappear as winter approaches. They will stop flying for resources when temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
After the winter, the wasps emerge in spring. They will build a new nest. They can hold up to 10,000 wasps by the summer’s peak. Their colonies will also die off as the weather gets colder.
After the winter, the queen wasp will hibernate in a burrow or burrows. She will then mate with a fertile male. The two mated queens will produce eggs that develop into new queens. The new queen will take over the old nest.
When the queen wasp dies, the nest is abandoned. The old nest can be used to fill cavities in walls or eaves. This helps prevent new nests in the future.
