Wasps are constant enemies during summers and the spring season. We are glad when they’re not ruining picnics in public parks or terrorizing small playing children. These buzzing and stinging creatures get disappeared during winters. Is it right?
Sadly, it is not correct. Sometimes, wasps make way to your home and build over nests in winter. If you are ignorant, they can appear in spring with huge numbers.
Let us look, how do wasps survive in winters?
The Wasp Life Cycle
It is vital to understand the wasps’ life cycle to know how wasps survive during winters. The female wasp will start a new colony from hibernation. She will build a nest, immediately find nectar to eat, and lay eggs. The eggs will be female workers that will take over the majority of the work in the nest.
The queen lays eggs throughout the summer. The queen wasp will decide to create future reproductive drones and queens by feeding them hormones.
The male drones and future queens leave the nest as fall approaches. The colony will start to die off, and the old queen will stop laying eggs. It is not due to cold weather but due to the unavailability of nectar and starvation. At this time, they are in desperate search of sugary foods and drinks. It is when they create a nuisance to humans.
Surviving Winter
As winter sets in, the worker wasps will slowly die. They cannot survive because their bodies cannot handle cold temperatures. Worker wasps will gather the food, builds the nest, supports new larvae. They are not needed anymore as soon as the days start getting shorter.
Recently mated young female wasps have the job to survive in winters and find new colonies to re-emerge in spring. Those female wasps need to find a safe, warm place to hide and listen to their internal clocks about the decreasing temperatures. They wanted to be the queen wasps of the next nest and will look for the spring.
If you have left any cracks or crevices in your roofing or walls, their safe place could be your home. Female wasps will be happy to stay in your attic and protect themselves from the harsh elements outdoors. The future queen wasps will conserve their energy and enter a form of hibernation known as diapause.
Types of Wasps You Can Find
The paper wasps can easily find their way inside your home. These wasps sneak inside the homes of unsuspecting residents when the temperatures drop. One or two wasps will not cause much damage, but a considerable number of these wasps can cause you trouble. They can interfere with the structure of your walls and damage the attic’s insulation. Once the temperature rises, these wasps desperately build nests around your house, causing wasp infestation.
Tips to Proof Your Home from Wasps
- Follow basic sanitation and keep indoors and outdoors clean
- Cover your trash cans with tight lids and clean the trash cans frequently
- Sweep away the leaves and yard debris
- Trim the overgrown bushes and trees
- Empty any standing water from rain gutters, birdbaths, pet dishes, and any other items that may collect rainwater
Call Professional and Remove an Unwanted Guest
If you suspect wasp invasion in and around your property, save yourself from this trouble by calling professional pest control services. Our experienced technicians know how to deal safely with wasps.