Wasp nests are usually started in spring. Queens will go into hibernation over the winter, and as the weather warms up, they will wake up and start a nest. The survival of the nest depends on two things: the survival of the queen and weather. If the queen dies, the nest will die, and when the weather gets too cold, the wasps will start to die off and the nest will be abandoned.
The duration of a wasp nest
Since wasps are warm-weather insects, their nests will last anywhere from three to nine months, assuming that the nest is not destroyed by predators or that the queen dies. As autumn starts to roll around, the temperatures begin to drop, and wasps start dying. Eventually, the temperatures become too low, and the queen leaves the nest to start its hibernation somewhere underground, or in a crack or crevice it can find nearby.
Can you wait out a wasp nest?
Theoretically you can, but if the nest is located on your property, you will be bothered by the pests whenever you try to have a meal outdoors, and you have to be careful whenever you walk by the nest, because wasps will aggressively defend their territory. On top of that, the nest will die out for the winter, but the queen will return, likely to a position near the original nest and then start again. So it’s a cycle that you cannot really get out of until you kill the queen.
Do wasps return to abandoned nests?
A wasp queen may set up in an abandoned nest, and it can be the previous queen or a different one. This is why you want to destroy the nest once it’s been vacated by the wasps. At the very least, it will buy you some time before a new nest becomes the home of a full-blown wasp colony.
Removing a wasp nest DIY
You should not attempt to remove a wasp nest by yourself. Wasps are extremely territorial, and even going near the nest will trigger a swarm. Without protective gear, you are likely to get stung dozens if not hundreds of times. Wasp nest removal is best done by a professional, who is able to safely get rid of the queen and the nest itself for you. Contact us today if you have a wasp nest on your property and you want it removed.
