FAMILY: VESPIDAE, E.G. VESPULA VULGARIS

APPEARENCE

• Black and yellow abdomen .

LIFE CYCLE
• Young Queens overwinter and emerge in the spring to start nest building and lay eggs.

• Workers ( sterile females ) appear in early summer and take over nest building . The Queen continues to ponder eggs.

• New queens and males mate in early fall .

• Nest dies during winter, including all the males and workers . Only the queens survive the next year.

 

Habits
• The colony size – medium to large (up to a maximum of 25 000 persons).

• Preferred nest sites – lofts, wall cavities , old rodent burrows , hollow trees and bushes

• Nest construction – treated wood ( paper ) . Combes placed horizontally . A new nest is produced each year.

• Power – insects and sweet food.

• bite easily and often.