As colder weather arrives, wasps disappear, leading many to wonder about their winter whereabouts. Wasps do not migrate; instead, their survival strategies during this dormant period reveal fascinating adaptations, differing significantly between social and solitary species.
The Winter Fate of Wasps
Wasps do not migrate to warmer regions for winter. Their survival depends on the species and life cycle. Most social wasps, particularly yellowjackets and hornets, do not survive freezing temperatures.
In social wasp colonies, the vast majority of individuals—worker wasps, males, and the old queen—die off as autumn progresses and food becomes scarce. Only newly fertilized queens, produced late summer, survive to carry on the species. These new queens enter diapause or hibernation, drastically reducing their metabolism. Some species even produce a natural antifreeze-like compound, such as glycerol, to endure freezing conditions.
Unlike social wasps, solitary wasps like mud daubers and digger wasps do not form colonies. Adult solitary wasps typically die by summer’s end. Their survival strategy involves their offspring, which overwinter as larvae or pupae within protected nests or cells built by the female.
These developing offspring feed on prey, such as paralyzed spiders, provisioned by the adult female before she died. Larvae then develop into pupae, spinning a silk cocoon, remaining in this stage until emerging as adults the following spring. This difference means social wasp queens hibernate, while solitary wasp adults perish and their young continue development in a sheltered state.
Where Wasps Spend the Winter
Overwintering wasps seek sheltered locations to protect themselves from cold and predators. Social wasp queens find dry, secluded sites like hollow trees, under loose bark, or within rotten logs.
They also find refuge in human-made structures such as wall voids, attics, sheds, garages, building crevices, roof eaves, or underground burrows. These locations offer insulation, allowing queens to conserve energy during their dormant period.
For solitary wasps, their offspring overwinter within nests constructed by their mothers. Mud daubers build characteristic mud tubes in sheltered areas like under eaves, on porch ceilings, or inside garages and barns. Digger wasps, which nest in the ground, have larvae or pupae overwinter in subterranean tunnels. These protected nest sites shield developing wasps from harsh winter conditions until they emerge as adults in spring.