Wasps do not technically hibernate in the same way mammals do, but they employ a sophisticated survival strategy to endure the cold months. For the vast majority of the colony, winter brings an end to their lives. The continuation of the species is entrusted to the newly fertilized queen, who enters a state of dormancy to survive until spring. This annual cycle means that while the colony structure collapses each year, the lineage persists.
What Happens to the Wasp Colony
The social wasp colony, such as those of yellow jackets and hornets, is an annual structure in temperate climates and is not designed to survive the winter intact. As the days shorten and temperatures fall in late autumn, the established colony begins a rapid decline. The original queen stops laying eggs, leading to a breakdown in the social order and the cessation of new worker production.
The worker wasps (sterile females) and the male drones all perish as the weather grows colder. This die-off is triggered by a lack of food, as insect prey and sweet plant nectar become scarce. The abandoned nest is not reused and will slowly decay over the winter months.
The Queen’s Dormancy Strategy
The newly fertilized queen survives the winter by entering diapause, a physiological form of dormancy distinct from true hibernation. This process is triggered by environmental cues in the late summer and fall. Prior to seeking shelter, the young queen feeds heavily, accumulating fat reserves that serve as her sole energy source for months.
During diapause, the queen’s metabolism drops substantially, allowing her to conserve stored energy while minimizing her need for oxygen and water. To protect herself from freezing, her body produces cryoprotectants, such as glycerol, which act as a natural antifreeze. She seeks out a stable, sheltered microclimate, often burrowing into soft soil, tucking herself under loose tree bark, or finding a void in a structure like an attic or wall cavity.
Starting the New Seasonal Cycle
The queen remains in diapause until rising ambient temperatures and longer daylight hours signal the arrival of spring. When the temperature in her shelter reaches a species-specific threshold, the queen emerges. Her first priority is to replenish her energy by foraging for tree sap or early flower nectar.
Once energized, the queen begins the solitary task of founding a new colony. She searches for a suitable, sheltered nesting site, such as a hollow tree or an underground cavity. Using her mandibles, she scrapes wood fibers, chews them into a pulp, and constructs the first few paper cells of the new nest. She then lays her first batch of eggs, which will hatch into the first generation of worker wasps.
For several weeks, the queen is responsible for all foraging and brood care until these first workers mature. At that point, she transitions into a full-time egg-layer, and the colony cycle begins anew.