Wasps are often seen during warmer months, leading many to wonder about their activity when the sun sets or the seasons change. This article explores the unique resting behaviors of wasps, distinguishing their daily inactivity from their seasonal survival strategies.
The Concept of Insect Rest
Insects, including wasps, do not experience sleep in the complex neurological manner that mammals do. Instead, they enter a state of inactivity or rest characterized by reduced metabolism and decreased responsiveness to stimuli. This state, sometimes referred to as torpor, allows them to conserve energy and recover.
During this resting phase, insects often exhibit specific postures, such as lowered antennae or reduced movement. Studies on various insects, like fruit flies, show they become less active and harder to rouse during these periods. This indicates a form of rest essential for their cognitive function and survival.
Daily Inactivity Cycles
Wasps become inactive during cooler, darker hours, generally from dusk until dawn. Most species, such as yellow jackets and paper wasps, are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day and rest at night. During these inactive periods, social wasps usually return to their nests, where they may perform duties like caring for larvae or repairing the nest.
Solitary wasps and those without a communal nest might cling to vegetation or find sheltered spots to rest. Observable behaviors during this inactive state include reduced movement, tucked antennae, or simply remaining still. Light cycles, known as photoperiod, regulate these daily rhythms, prompting wasps to seek shelter as light diminishes. Some species, like European hornets, show activity even after dark, particularly if attracted to artificial lights.
Wasp Behavior in Winter
The behavior of wasps in winter differs significantly from their daily inactivity. Most social wasp colonies, including worker wasps and males, die off as temperatures drop in autumn. Only newly fertilized queen wasps survive the winter months. These queens enter a state called diapause, a form of suspended development or hibernation.
During diapause, the queen wasp’s metabolic rate slows significantly, allowing her to conserve energy and survive without food for extended periods. She seeks sheltered locations for this overwintering period, such as under tree bark, in hollow logs, attics, or wall cavities, where she is protected from the cold. Solitary wasps also overwinter, often as eggs, larvae, or pupae, depending on the species, in protected ground burrows or other natural cavities. This ensures the continuation of the species by allowing new queens to emerge and establish colonies in the spring.