The Habitat of Wasps

Regions

• Almost ever region of the world has wasps, with more than 200,000 species of the insect and its relatives having been discovered around the world. There are at least 4,000 types of wasps in the United States alone. Wasps can survive in almost any terrain, with the exception of polar regions. Rainforests, wetlands, deserts, marshes, dunes and forests are just a few of the terrains where wasps had built nests.

Nests

• Wasps build their nests in a variety of ways; however, unlike bees that use wax, wasps typically make their nests from paper. When building a nest, the colony workers collect paper and wood fibers in their mouths, including pieces of weathered fences, telephone poles and cardboard boxes. After mixing the fibers with saliva, the wasps use the paste to construct the nest. The fibers harden and create a durable paper home. Some wasp species, such as the European hornet, build nests in hollowed trees or a home's attic. Others, like the bald-faced hornet, construct hanging nests from trees and vegetation.

Inside Nests

• Each wasp nest can hold thousands of the insects. Most wasp habitats can house from 11,000 to 13,000 workers. They use these nests for breeding and raising offspring. Depending on the species of wasp, some female worker wasps will lay eggs and produce larva, while other species' females don't reproduce. They only care for the queen's offspring. Because wasps hunt live creatures, including flies, spiders and caterpillars, they do not store food in the nest, to avoid spoiling.

Longevity of Nests

• Most wasp colonies are short-lived compared to other animals, with most surviving only one year. During the winter, almost all of a nest's worker wasps will die. The queen wasp will abandon the nest and find a warm place to hibernate through the winter, such as an empty log. When the weather warms, the queen will establish a new colony and nest somewhere else. Rarely do wasps return to their nest from the year past.