Wasps in the tilt of the year
In autumn, a wasp state has the most important task of the season to do: reproduction. If drones and young queens are used, they fly out on the so-called wedding flight in order to mate with other sex animals across states. After that, most of the members of the colony have fulfilled their purpose - drones and workers die after the last cleanup in the nest. Only the fertilized young queens survive.
also read
- Do wasps actually also eat aphids?
- Do wasps also pollinate flowers?
- How wasps get over winter
They have a responsible role to play in saving species conservation over the winter. Since wasps are not made for cold temperatures, overwintering is only possible with a few special survival strategies:
- Look for sheltered shelter that is as temperature-resistant as possible
- Take a rest position
- Shut down body functions
The shelter
The quarters to which the young wasp queen retreats in winter must be screened off as much as possible, not very visible and protected from wind, precipitation and major temperature fluctuations. The wasps find such conditions under slightly protruding pieces of tree bark, in rotten branches or in compost heaps.
However, these places do not offer a guarantee of protection. So much moisture can accumulate, especially in wood, that mold forms, which also attacks the body of the wasp. In addition, the queens can also be found as easy prey by animals such as rodents and birds. In short: the chances of survival are not necessarily high.
Rest posture
When roosting in winter, the wasp adopts a special resting posture: it folds its legs under its body, and puts its wings close to the sides.
Save energy
So that she can survive the cold months without food, she also turns her entire organism down to low-light level. Heartbeat and breathing slow down considerably.
