Why Do Wasps Not Come Out in January?
WouterDuring winter, wasps do not come out. Instead, they hibernate. This is because wasps cannot survive in cold temperatures. They rely on other insects and sugary drinks for food.
The queen of the colony lays eggs, which hatch into larvae. These larvae are then fed by the adult wasps. They eventually become adults, eat other spiders, and pollinate plants.
When the weather begins to warm, the wasp queen emerges from hibernation and begins laying eggs. Several unmated females are typically born in the hive, and they will one day leave to establish a new colony.
During the winter months, the worker wasps die off. The last eggs to hatch become the new queens. The worker wasps take over the feeding and maintenance of the nest. These wasps become more aggressive in the late summer and fall.
When the weather starts to warm again, the queen tries to establish a new colony. Her search for a new nest begins in the spring. The queen wasp searches for a warm, dry place to hibernate. She may emerge from her nest, or she may use the loft of a building or shed. The queen’s nest is usually a warm crevice in a shed or in a wall void.
The queen wasps that have survived the winter become the new queens of the colony in the spring. They will lay eggs in a new nest. They will find a suitable location to hibernate.
In the UK, the majority of wasps die from starvation. They may have been sneaking into your home recently. You can help by keeping wasps out of your house during the winter months.
