Hornets, like many social insects, face a significant challenge with the arrival of winter. While the majority of a hornet colony does not survive the cold months, the species itself endures through a remarkable natural process. Only a select few individuals possess the ability to withstand the harsh conditions, ensuring the continuation of hornets in the following year. This annual cycle of decline and renewal is fundamental to their survival strategy.
The Hornet Colony’s Annual Cycle
The life of a hornet colony is largely dictated by the seasons, spanning from spring through autumn. A single queen initiates the colony in the spring, laying eggs that develop into sterile female worker hornets. These workers are responsible for expanding the nest, foraging for food, and caring for the developing young. As the colony grows, its population can reach hundreds of individuals by late summer.
Worker hornets and male hornets have relatively short lifespans, typically living only a few weeks to a few months. With the onset of colder temperatures in late fall and dwindling food sources, the colony’s activity slows significantly. Most worker hornets, the old queen, and the male drones perish, unable to withstand freezing temperatures or a lack of sustenance. This natural die-off is a regular part of their life cycle in temperate climates.
The Queen’s Winter Survival
The hornet species continues solely through newly mated queens produced late in summer or early fall. They enter a state of dormancy known as diapause, a period of reduced metabolic activity that allows them to conserve energy during the cold months.
To overwinter, these queens seek out sheltered, protected locations. Common sites include loose tree bark, hollow logs, crevices in rocks or buildings, and even undisturbed soil or leaf litter. The chosen spot provides insulation from extreme cold and protection from predators. Once temperatures rise above approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the spring, the queens emerge from their overwintering sites.
The Fate of the Old Nest
Hornet nests are annual structures, built anew each spring and never reused. After the colony dies off in the late fall or early winter, the physical nest is abandoned. These paper-like structures, constructed from chewed wood fibers mixed with saliva, are exposed to the elements. Over winter, the abandoned nests naturally degrade due to weather conditions like wind and rain. While an old nest might remain for some time, it will eventually disintegrate.
The New Colony’s Beginning
As spring temperatures consistently rise, the overwintered queen emerges from her dormant state. Her primary instinct is to establish a new colony. She actively searches for a suitable, secure location to begin building a new nest. This new site is often in a protected area such as a tree cavity, a sheltered eave, or a wall void.
The queen then starts constructing a small, initial nest from wood pulp. Within this starter nest, she lays her first batch of eggs. These eggs will hatch and develop into the first generation of worker hornets, which then take over the duties of nest expansion and foraging, allowing the queen to focus solely on laying more eggs and growing the new colony. This process brings the hornet’s life cycle full circle, ensuring the species’ continuity.