Figure 12: Nest showing out protective layer and cell layers (www.sgaonline.org.au)
Life Cycle of European Wasps.
European wasps live in a class structured colony (Davidson, 1986). After hibernation in spring; individual pregnant queen wasps construct nests.The queens will feed on carbohydrates foods such as nectar and fruits (Davidson, 1986). The queens typically choose a sheltered underground site for the developing nest.The queen constructs a paper comb comprising between 20-30 cells, then constructs an outer shelf to protect it (Davidson, 1986).
Once each queen has completed the nest, she lays eggs in individual cells. Raising larvae on a protein that will consist of insect prey, meat and carrion. Larvae then hatch as the nest pioneer; they are sterile females workers and the primary role of the queen is the egg-layer for the remainder of the season.The worker wasps take over the duties of foraging, nest construction and defence of the nest (Davidson, 1986). Workers live for a few weeks and there may be thousands of workers in the nest at any time (Lefoe et al., 2001).
Research has shown that there is an extension of the wasp season in warmer areas of Australia (Crosland 1991). In summer, the numbers of workers increase.The nest site is expanded by building or excavating.Creation of extra combs layers are connected by paper building material (Davidson, 1986). The wasps make this paper building material by scouring timber such as fallen trees, fence posts or fence palings.The timber is munched making a paste and applied in thin pieces and dried (Davidson, 1986).
During late summer, the workers build bigger cells for the next generation of several hundred queens and drones (Davidson, 1986). During autumn, they participate in mating flight.The queens find places to hibernate (Davidson, 1986). The nest empties as all the drones and workers die off.If weather conditions remain warm and there are available resources, wasps may be able to survive in winter. This means there is an increase in the size of the nest in the following summer (Lefoe et al., 2001).
Figure 13. Diagram showing life cycle of European Wasps (www.goldcitypestservices.com)