Wasps are a common sight in warmer months, leading to questions about their activity once cold weather arrives. Understanding their annual life cycle helps clarify what happens to both the insects and their nests as winter approaches. This seasonal shift is a fundamental aspect of most wasp species’ biology.
Wasp Colony Dispersal
As autumn progresses and temperatures drop, annual wasp colonies, such as those of yellowjackets and paper wasps, undergo a significant transformation. Worker wasps and the old queen typically perish with the onset of colder weather, primarily due to a lack of available food sources. Their life cycle is seasonal, meaning the active colony disbands. Only newly fertilized queens from that season survive this period.
These new queens depart from the original nest to seek sheltered locations for overwintering. They enter a state of dormancy where their metabolic rate slows. Common hibernation spots include:
Protected crevices
Under loose tree bark
In rotting logs
Within wall voids of buildings
In attics
Buried in soft soil
This allows them to endure freezing temperatures and food scarcity until spring.
The Nest’s Winter State
After the worker wasps and old queen die, and new queens leave to overwinter, the nest becomes inactive. Wasp nests are abandoned and not reused by new colonies in subsequent years. Though the nest may remain physically intact through winter, it will be empty of live wasps.
Nests are not reused for several reasons. Parasites or diseases from the previous colony can accumulate, negatively impacting a new generation. Additionally, the nest’s structural integrity may be compromised after a season of use and weather exposure. A new queen typically prefers to construct a fresh nest, minimizing risks and ensuring optimal conditions for her new brood.
New Beginnings in Spring
In spring, the overwintering queen emerges from dormancy. Her primary goal is to establish a new colony, and she actively searches for a suitable, protected location. This site is typically a quiet, secluded area, possibly near an old nest but not directly in it.
The queen then constructs a small starter nest from chewed wood fibers mixed with her saliva, forming a papery material. She lays her first batch of eggs within these new cells. The queen cares for these initial larvae, feeding them until they mature into the first generation of sterile female worker wasps. Once these workers emerge, they forage for food, expand the nest, and care for subsequent broods, allowing the queen to focus solely on laying eggs.