The nursery of the wasps
In this article we are primarily concerned with the hatching of the wasp larvae from the pupation - because then the great wasp invasion takes place. But wasps actually hatch twice in their lifetime.
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- When do wasps fly?
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From egg to larva
The first time wasps hatch from the egg. In spring the young wasp queen lays the foundation stone for the wasp nest, for which she is looking for a suitable, cave-like shelter. This can be an abandoned mouse or mole hole, a pile of stones, a roof structure or a hollow tree stump. She lays her eggs in the first brood cells created. It takes about 5 days for the wasp larvae to hatch.
To note:
- Wasp first hatches from the egg, then from the pupation
- Time in the egg lasts about 5 days
The stages of development of the larvae
When the wasps hatch, the larval stage begins. This is strictly separated from the adult stage - both in terms of lifestyle and time. Because pupation lies between the two stages.
How long the time as a larva lasts is not set in stone. The duration depends on the conditions under which the larva can develop. On the one hand, this includes the food supply. The more protein-containing insects there are in the vicinity of the workers, the faster and stronger the larvae can grow. The nest temperature also affects the duration of the larval period. An average of about 9 days can be expected.
During the larval stage, the wasp larvae grow and molt several times, or more precisely, five times. They strip the old skin backwards. During the entire larval period, they stick to the honeycomb cell with their own secretion.
When they have come through all the moulting stages and have grown well, the larvae pupate in order to develop into a wasp capable of flying. To do this, they spin a solid doll around their body from specially designed spinnerets on their heads. How long the metamorphosis takes in pupation now depends on the temperature in the nest. In warm conditions, the larva can mature into a wasp after just 12 days. When it's cooler, it takes up to 20 days. Incidentally, the wings only develop in the last 2 to 3 days.
To note:
- After time in the egg: approx. 9 days larval stage
- Afterwards pupal stage for 12 to 20 days
In order to be able to estimate when a new wasp colony will streak out of the nest, it is of course necessary to identify the shelter beforehand. It's not that easy, because a generation of wasps only lasts for one summer. An old wasp nest is usually not reused in the following year. However, in the spring you can of course examine possible hiding places, such as roller shutter boxes or mice, for wasp combs and any eggs and larvae.
