When the days get cooler and shorter in the fall, most of the wasps die. Only the young queens survive the winter - a dangerous undertaking for the fertilized females, which by no means all of them survive.
Most wasps die in winter
Wasps in the annual trend
In the fall, a wasp colony has the most important task of the season to do: reproduction. When drones and young queens are raised, they fly out on the so-called nuptial flight in order to mate with other sex animals across states. After that, most members of the colony have fulfilled their purpose of existence - drones and workers die after the last cleaning work in the nest. Only the fertilized young queens survive.
They have the responsible role of saving the conservation of the species over the winter. Since wasps are not made for cold temperatures, hibernation is only possible with a few special survival strategies:
- Look for shelter that is as temperature-resistant as possible
- take a rest position
- shut down bodily functions
The shelter
The quarters to which the young wasp queen withdraws in winter must be shielded as far as possible, not very visible and protected from wind, precipitation and major temperature fluctuations. The wasps find such conditions, for example, under slightly protruding pieces of tree bark, in rotten branches or in compost heaps.
However, these places offer no guarantee of protection. In wood in particular, so much moisture can accumulate that mold forms, which also attacks the wasp body. In addition, the queens can also be found as easy prey by animals such as rodents and birds. In short: the chance of survival is not necessarily high.
quiescence
In the winter quarters, the wasp adopts a special resting position: it folds its legs under its body and closes its wings to its side.
Save energy
In order to survive the cold months without food, she also shuts down her entire organism to the back burner. Heartbeat and breathing slow down considerably.