Wasp nest lifecycle - the common wasp & the German wasp.
The two types of wasp that are found in the UK are the common wasp (Vespa
Vulgaris) which is found in much of the northern hemisphere. The common
wasp nest is built from chewed wood to create a kind of Paper Mache,
which is strong and lightweight. The common wasp nest is normally built
underground in disused mammal burrows, but often they choose buildings,
hollow trees, just about anywhere that is dry.
The common wasp (nicknamed “Jaspers”) is about 17-20mm long. The queen wasps emerge from hibernation in the spring having over wintered somewhere dry and protected from the winter elements (often in lofts and sheds). The queen finds a suitable location to start a new nest (often people think wasps re-use old nests, but this is not the case) and using wood fibers chewed and mixed with saliva she starts to build her nest.
Video of queen wasp stripping wood to make her nest.
We are pleased to be able bring you some new videos this summer to show you how a queen wasp starts her nest and how the nest develops over the beginning of the summer.
The first video shows how a queen wasp (in this case a common wasp) chews wood from a post to take back to build her nest.
(Please check back soon to view the next installment as the new worker wasps emerge from the nest)
The wasp nest starts off with 20-30 cells before the main egg laying
starts. The queen creates a single cell at the end of a petiole, six more
cells are then added around this to create the hexagonal shape of the
nest cells.
Once the eggs have hatched they become worker wasps and take up most of
the day to day running of the nest, from foraging for food, brood care
of young wasp larvae, nest building and maintenance.
Each wasp nest or colony includes one queen and the rest are sterile worker
wasps. At the end of the summer, new queens and fertile male drones are
produced and after mating these new queens hibernate through the winter
ready to start a new nest and colony the following spring.
The second type of wasp that is commonly found in the UK is the German
wasp (Vespula Germanica) or also known as the European wasp.
The German wasp nest is built much the same way as the common wasp
nest, but instead of building their nests in the ground or in buildings,
the German wasp nest is generally found close to the ground or in bushes
and trees. The nest structure is the same as the common wasp nest.
The lifecycle is the same as the common wasp, with one queen and sterile
worker wasps taking care of daily duties such as nest building, repair
and foraging for food.
The European wasp is slightly larger than the common wasp and collects
a variety of insects to feed its larvae. The adult wasps feed on nectar
and sweet fruits, also attracted to meats and food waste along with sweet
drinks, which is why they are often found in pub gardens later in the
summer months. This is the time of year when wasps are most likely to
sting, having fed on fermenting and over ripe fruits, the effects of which
produce “drunken wasps”.
How many wasps are there in a nest?
Common wasps can produce
nests that by the end of the summer (August/September) can reach a population
of up too 10,000 or more occupants per nest.
The German wasps produce
nests that can hold up too 3000 individual wasps.
Please take a look at our page: how
can I tell that I have a wasp nest?
We charge a flat fee of £40.00 to treat a Wasp or Hornet
nest regardless of it's location with no hidden extra charges.
For any secondary nests found on your property we charge an additional
£10.00 per nest.
All work is guaranteed.
We work WEEKENDS too! So if you have found a nest whilst out
in your garden and it's a Saturday or Sunday, don't worry, just give
us a call and we will come straight out.