Wasps have an annual life cycle, particularly in temperate climates. Their activities and survival strategies adapt with the seasons, leading many to wonder about their fate in colder months. This cycle explains how these social insects persist despite challenging conditions.
The Annual Cycle of a Wasp Colony
The life of a wasp colony is seasonal, beginning each spring and concluding with winter. Throughout spring and summer, a colony thrives. A queen lays eggs, and sterile female worker wasps expand the nest, forage for food, and care for the young. Some nests can grow to contain thousands of individuals by late summer.
As autumn approaches, the colony’s growth peaks. The queen produces eggs that develop into new queens and fertile male wasps. These individuals leave the nest to mate. With dwindling food, shorter days, and colder temperatures, most of the colony—including the original queen, workers, and males—perish. Unlike bees, wasps do not store food for winter, contributing to the colony’s demise as sustenance becomes scarce.
The Queen’s Winter Survival
While most of the wasp colony succumbs to winter, the newly mated queen is an exception. She is the sole member capable of enduring the cold months. This survival mechanism involves entering a state of physiological dormancy known as diapause, similar to hibernation.
During diapause, the queen’s metabolic rate slows, allowing her to conserve energy and survive for months without food. Her body produces natural antifreeze compounds that prevent ice crystals from forming in her tissues, enabling her to withstand extremely cold temperatures. Queens seek sheltered locations for this period, such as under tree bark, in hollow logs, within soil, in wall cavities, or in secluded spots within human structures like attics and sheds.
The Fate of the Wasp Nest Structure
The physical nest structure changes with winter’s arrival. Wasp nests are annual constructions, built for a single season. Once the colony dies off and new queens depart for hibernation, the nest is abandoned.
Wasps do not reuse old nests in subsequent years. This practice helps prevent the buildup of diseases and parasites that could affect a new colony. Abandoned nests are made from chewed wood pulp mixed with saliva, resembling paper. They are susceptible to decay from weather elements or can be broken down by scavengers like birds.
New Beginnings: Spring Colony Formation
The annual cycle of wasps resumes with spring’s arrival. As temperatures consistently rise, typically above 10°C, the overwintered queen emerges from her dormant state. Her focus immediately shifts to establishing a new colony.
The queen finds a suitable, sheltered location, such as attics or sheds, and constructs a small starter nest using wood fibers. She lays her first batch of eggs within these initial cells. These eggs hatch into larvae, which she feeds until they develop into the first generation of sterile female worker wasps, initiating the new colony’s growth.