As the temperatures drop and we start spending more time indoors, we may forget about the wasps buzzing around our backyards during the warmer months. But have you ever wondered where do wasps go in the winter? In this article, we’ll explore the fascinating world of wasp hibernation and give homeowners tips on how to prepare for their return in the spring.
For non-aggressive wasps I've had great luck spraying nests with this Spectracide wasp remover in the evening. For a nest up high in an eave, soffit, or tree, this Gotcha pole adapter clamps onto the can so you can spray from the end of an extension pole and treat the nest from 10+ feet away instead of standing right under it. And for anything aggressive I wear this ridiculous-looking upper torso beekeeping suit and keep my distance. It seems silly, but trust me, I learned the hard way.
The short answer surprises most homeowners: for the common social wasps in your backyard — yellow jackets, paper wasps, and hornets — almost the entire colony dies each winter. Only the newly mated queens survive. Unlike honeybees, which cluster together for warmth and keep the whole hive alive through the cold, social wasp colonies do not overwinter as a group. The old queen, all the workers, and all the males die off with the first hard frosts, and the nest is abandoned for good — wasps never reuse an old nest.
The survivors are the next generation of queens. In late summer and fall, each mature nest produces new queens (called gynes), which mate and then leave to find shelter for the winter. To learn how to recognize these large fall wasps and tell them apart from spring founding queens, see our guide on do wasps have a queen.
These mated queens enter a state of dormancy known as diapause. During diapause a queen’s metabolic rate slows dramatically, allowing her to survive months without eating. She seeks out a sheltered overwintering site — under tree bark, in leaf litter or rotting logs, or tucked into the cracks and crevices of your home, including attics, soffits, and wall voids. There she remains until spring warmth (around 50°F / 10°C) rouses her to emerge and found a brand-new colony alone. Solitary wasp species, such as mud daubers and cicada killers, overwinter differently — their larvae wait out the cold inside sealed nest cells and emerge as adults the following year.
Now that you know where wasps go in the winter, it’s time to start thinking about how to prepare your home for their return in the spring. Here are some tips for keeping wasps at bay:
By taking these simple steps, you can help keep wasps away from your home and enjoy a pest-free summer.
While wasps may seem like a nuisance during the warmer months, they play an important role in pollinating plants and controlling other pests. By understanding where wasps go in the winter and how to prepare your home for their return in the spring, you can coexist with these fascinating insects in harmony.
For a complete overview of wasp species found across North America, see our Wasp Identification: Complete Homeowner Guide.
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