Key Features of Wasps
Wasps are exceptionally well known insects with a distinctive appearance. They have yellow and black striped bodies and measure approximately 10-15mm long. They have a sweet tooth at one end and a painful sting at the other which can be used when they become annoyed or threatened.
Biology
The Queen Wasp is substantially larger than a regular Worker Wasp and will measure approximately 20mm in length.
She will hibernate throughout the winter and then make a nest in the spring in which she will lay her eggs. Once the eggs have hatched, the Queen Wasp will feed the grubs on insects until three or four weeks later, by which point they will have developed into fully formed worker wasps.
All Workers Wasps are sterile females and will forage for over a mile in search of sources of food. It is possible for nests to produce huge numbers of Wasps and sometimes as many as 30,000 wasps in a year.
It is during the months of August and September when Wasps can become a particular nuisance as once the youngsters have been reared, the Workers Wasps will then turn their search for food to the sweet food they prefer.
The UK has two native species of Wasps. There have also been several other European species of Wasps recorded within the UK. Wasp nests can be found suspended from trees, nest boxes, bee hives, rafters and dormer windows.
For further information please visit our sister site - http://www.wasp-nest.com/
