Class: Insecta
Familly: Vespidae
Order: Hymenoptera
Life span:
Queen : 1 year
Breeding male: a few days
Female workers: 22 days
Reproduction
Every spring, the mating urge brings males and females together. The male’s duty is fulfilled shortly afterwards as they lay down their lives for a greater cause – helping to create an entire colony with only one female at its helm. Miraculously, she single-handedly lays eggs that will soon become thousands of new occupants within her growing empire.
Diet
Social wasps are ever-hungry hunters, scouring the environment. Worker wasps tirelessly search for insect prey to provide their young with a healthy protein diet while they themselves feast on carbohydrates in order to survive and thrive.
- Sugar
- Decaying fruit
- Honey
- Other insects
Habitat
Social wasps have a unique way of constructing their homes – some species opt for paper materials, others for mud. Sadly this can create quite the nuisance when these nests find themselves attached to your own home.
Why do wasps hover around meat?
Adult wasps are caring parents, providing their young with nourishing meals of succulent small insects they’ve expertly hunted in the natural world.
Do wasps produce honey?
While wasps play an important role in our ecosystem, they don’t offer the same sweet treat as bees – honey! In fact, only a select few species of these buzzing insects produce this coveted nectar.
Do all wasps live in colonies?
Wasps come in two distinct varieties – solitary, living solo and social, forming large colonies. Both play an important role in our ecosystems as pollinators or predators of other insects.
Do wasps die in winter?
The bitter chill of winter is too much for the majority of a colony to bear; future queens and breeding males bravely face its cruel embrace, while only one lucky queen is chosen by providence to escape in hibernation.
Do wasps sting?
When provoked, wasps defend their colony vigorously by stinging with painful venom. For some people, a sting can be life-threatening as severe allergic reactions may occur. To ease the discomfort of a wasp bite and prevent serious complications, it is recommended to seek medical attention right away or alternatively apply ice if swelling arises at the site of attack.