Wasp nest construction time: when do wasps build nests?

Wasps in the house and garden are not really welcome, even if these pests are useful for our ecosystem. Building a wasp's nest shows true skill, even though it is only used for one year.

Depending on the life cycle

Nest building in wasps always depends on their life cycle. A wasp state is founded every year. A few things should be briefly explained in this regard. Except for the mated young queens, the entire wasp colony does not survive the winter. Only these queens of a wasp state survive the winter in a form of cold rigidity with the help of a kind of antifreeze in their body. They crawl underground in mouse holes or rotten wood stacks, even under tree bark. With the first rays of sun, at temperatures around 15 degrees, usually at the beginning or end of April, the

Queen brought back to life. The time can vary a bit. It always depends on the prevailing climate. First she goes in search of food and then she looks for a sheltered cavity to build her new wasp nest. At first it resembles a mini cone, then a tennis ball until it reaches its final shape:

• seldom builds nests near the wintering location
• ideal dark cavities
• also hanging freely in hedges, trees, roof trusses
• in addition, the scraping of wood fibers from boards, trees and fences
• adds saliva to it
• then formation of a maximum of 20 hexagonal honeycombs
• first egg-laying in these so-called brood combs
• from this exclusive development of sterile workers
• Workers responsible for further nest building
• continue to raise the next offspring
• Queen now only responsible for laying eggs

Note: Scientific studies have shown that wasps use the earth's magnetic field as a guide when choosing a location.

Constant growth

For a period of around four months, from spring to midsummer, i.e. July to August, the wasp's nest is constantly growing, until construction is finally stopped in early autumn. By then, the wasp's nest had grown to an astonishing size. Over the summer it can accommodate between 500 and 5000 workers and the queen. There are between 3500 and 15000 brood cells in a wasp's nest. The size of the people always depends on the population. In addition, the weather and the food available also play a decisive role. In bad weather and little food, the wasp's nest grows slower, as there are fewer animals and therefore less space is required. In addition, the space available for nest building and the available workers are also important. A nest does not always have to have a grape-shaped appearance, it can

• Size like soccer ball or medicine ball,
• be elliptical or plate-shaped or
• 2 to 3 cm high and 3 m long.

Note: A wasp queen can be recognized by its height. The body is strong and 20 mm long. In comparison, female workers only reach a length of 16 mm.

Nest abandonment in autumn

The wasps lay their last eggs in autumn. The larvae of the young queens, i.e. the fertile females, hatch from these eggs. Then eggs are laid again by the still ruling queen. From this only drones emerge whose task is to mate young queens from other wasp states. After copulation, they die, as do all workers belonging to the wasp state. Occasionally, a few specimens may still be seen in October or November, but then they also die. The workers reach an age between 18 and 22 days, while the old queen dies after a year. Only the mated young queens survive the winter.
Depending on the wasp species, the nests die from the beginning of September to the end of October. They are empty and will not be obtained from a wasp species again. They usually decompose on their own over time.

Note: Wasps are protected. Nests may only be removed if there is an immediate risk to humans. The animals must not be caught or killed. Violations are punished with fines between 5000 and 65,000 euros.

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