Wasps, unlike many types of insects, having laid larvae, subsequently protect them, surrounding future offspring with care. Individuals living in families live in specially built wasp hives.
How to find a wasp's nest
Finding insect habitats is not always easy. This is due to the fact that wasp hives can be located in a variety of places:
- underground in empty mouse holes;
- on branches and in the hollows of old trees;
- in basements and attics of residential premises.
Only a thorough inspection of the utility rooms located in the house and apartment will help you find a hive.
Wasps are in constant search of food for the larvae growing in their nest. The desire to feast on sugary substances attracts insects to people’s homes, especially during the period of making jam. They do not disdain meat scraps from human food.
If it is not possible to determine the presence of a nest visually, and the presence of insects bothers you, then you should leave fruit or pieces of meat in a visible place. By observing where the uninvited guests take their prey, it will most likely be possible to determine their permanent location.
The size of the constructed hive can range from the diameter of a tennis ball to a basketball, and in some cases larger. Regardless of the location, the wasp hive is built in the form horizontal design, the cells of which face downwards with their inputs.
Important! When trying to destroy a wasp's nest, do not stand directly under it, otherwise an angry swarm of wasps will fall right on the head of its offender.
If during the search a wasp nest was discovered in the initial stage of construction, then measures must be taken to eliminate it as quickly as possible. This is due to the very fast pace of work of the insect. Sometimes a new house grows right before the eyes of people amazed at the speed of its appearance.
What do wasps make their nests from?
Nature compensated for the inability to secrete wax by giving the wasps jaws. With their help, insects scrape pieces of rotten wood, and then glue the resulting mass with the liquid produced during chewing. Wood chips, bark and even sawdust are used. The material for construction obtained in this way can be compared by appearance with wrapping paper. For this skill, the insects received the name “paper wasps.”
The walls of the internal cells have a denser and smoother structure. The layers of the outer sphere of the structure under construction look quite loose. Wasps that live in the tropics use everything they find to create their hives: limestone pieces, clay grains of sand, and, if necessary, manure.
There are several thousand species of wasps, each of which adapts to environmental conditions in its own way. Habitat features greatly influence what wasps use to make a hive.
What do wasps make their nests from?
The largest species of wasps, hornets, use young tree bark for construction. From the outside, a hornet hive looks like a large bucket, and in cross-section, the cells of the nest are colored yellow-brown, sandy or brown.
How wasps build a nest
Construction of the nest occurs in stages:
- Construction begins in the spring. The female, who managed to survive the winter, prepares a place for breeding future offspring. To do this, she constructs several cup-shaped cells. Due to their shallow depth, one egg is laid in each cell. The female is responsible for the life support of the larvae, obtains food for them and carries out feeding.
- As they grow, the larvae increase in size. The female, as necessary, builds walls for the growing offspring. Within a month, a metamorphosis occurs, transforming the egg laid by the uterus into a pupa, which in turn transforms into an adult.
- The first insects to appear are females that are not capable of reproduction and play the role of building maintenance workers. Now they build up the walls of the partitions, creating new cells for eggs, which the female continues to lay. Feeding the growing larvae is also the responsibility of these hard-working, but incapable of procreating insects.
- July is a turning point in the life of the wasp family, living on several floors of a house under construction, filled with cells of different sizes.
- By the end of summer, the largest compartments are occupied by hatched females, awaiting the appearance of males. Wasps of different sexes have external differences: males lack a sting, but have mustaches that are larger than those of females.
- Together with those leaving summer months The life of the male population of the hive, as well as the worker wasps and the old queen, ends. Construction stops.
- During this period, grown-up young females leave their summer home and find cozy and warm crevices in which they will wait for the arrival of spring.
- Next spring, each of the fertilized wasps will become a queen and begin building a new home in which to lay future offspring.
How many wasps in one nest
Depending on the size of the house, a huge number of insects, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands, can comfortably live in it.
Wasps are distinguished by a variety of species of individuals living in interaction in one house. Females, males and working insects have different structures and external differences that are noticeable even to a non-specialist. Each group strictly fulfills the duties prescribed by nature. Differences within one species are called polymorphism, or multiformity. The bulk of the residents are working individuals, which are concentrated around the queen, who continues to lay new eggs.
How many wasps in one nest
How long do wasps live in a nest?
After the wasps have built their nest, life cycle The wasp family lasts one summer. The life of the hive, which began in the spring, reaches its climax by mid-summer and continues while construction is underway. By the beginning of autumn, all life processes calm down and stop. The established order is unchanged and requires annual new buildings.
Last year's hives are not relevant for a wasp swarm, but if the location chosen for construction is well located, the insects will build another home within walking distance of last year's house.
Important! Wasps can return to their favorite places even after their home is destroyed. Therefore, it is necessary to treat the area where the hive is located with special substances designed to combat and destroy these insects.
When wasps leave their nests
Every hive has guard wasps. When danger approaches, they give a special signal, thanks to which a a large number of irritated insects, ready to defend their possessions.
Despite the fact that the wasp's venom does not pose a critical danger to humans, its bite is quite painful. The most powerful and unpleasant bite for humans is a hornet bite.
Important! Distinctive feature All wasps have the ability to sting several times in a row. Due to its structure, a wasp sting does not get stuck in the skin of a person or animal.
Close proximity to a wasp nest can ruin not only the mood of people living nearby, but also their health. Therefore, having discovered a hive, it is necessary to take decisive measures to destroy it. With quick and precise movements, crush the hive with your hand or, if possible, your foot.
Attention! Having decided to destroy a nest, you need to protect your body, especially your face and hands, with clothing that can protect you from bites.
How far do wasps fly from the nest?
Social insects are “attached” to their home. Wasps fly away from it only during the day, preferring to spend the night at home. This is the time that is considered the most favorable for spraying wasp nests with pesticides to kill insects.
When wasps leave their nests
Wasps fly out to a distance of no more than 100 meters from the dwelling they have built. Two reasons force people to leave their native walls:
- search for food;
- danger of nest destruction.
Who destroys wasps' nests
In addition to people who do not like living next to wasps, their houses are often destroyed by wild animals and birds. It is especially common to see tits pecking at last year’s wasp’s nest.
Wasp nests can become a source of discomfort and irritation for those whose home they choose as their place of stay. Therefore, it is better to take care of preventive measures, allowing you to avoid inconvenient and burdensome proximity.
What do wasps make their nests from? Completed by Svetlana Chizh, 7th grade student of State Budgetary Educational Institution Secondary School No. 377 of the Kirov District. Supervisor E.A. Stepanova.
In the summer I found a wasp nest right in my apartment... The wasps made it on thick curtain, in a secluded, dark corner. The nest was very small, it was not even a nest, but a clutch for eggs, around which the nest itself was formed. The nest looks like ordinary paper! I have questions: What is a wasp nest, how do wasps make it. Why did the wasp first lay eggs and only then begin to build the walls of the nest? Where in nature can an insect take paper, if it artificial material? What advantage does a wasp have by designing a nest where the entrance is at the bottom?
The purpose of my work: To study the structure of a wasp nest, and to find out whether there is any benefit from wasps. Tasks: 1) study the literature and find out which species of wasps make nests 2) find out what material the wasps build their nests from 3) why the nests differ in color 4) find out is there any benefit from a wasp's nest
At the first stage, a survey of people was conducted to find out their attitude towards wasps. When asked about the benefits or harm of wasps, opinions differed
Second stage: there are about 20 thousand species of wasps in nature, but paper (or social) wasps build such a nest
What material does the wasp make its nest from? The wasp uses its jaws to separate small pieces of wood, rub them thoroughly with saliva, and then apply a thin layer to the nest. The resulting dried mass resembles rough wrapping paper. You can even write on it.
Third stage: studying the structure of the wasp nest. The surface of the nest was gray and had brown, white, and green stripes.
Studying the properties of a wasp nest: 1) Having sprayed the nest with water, I found that the water rolled down in drops 2) I put pieces of the nest into the water, they did not immediately, but they got wet and floated on the surface of the water. 3) Having dipped the pieces into a solution of hydrochloric acid, I discovered that nothing happened to them either.
Fourth stage: Studying the structure of the nest Having cut the paper layers, I found cells there of a regular hexagonal shape. The cells are located horizontally. The entrance to the nest is located from below for ease of entry. The first row of cells is attached to the surface, then the second tier is suspended from it, and so on as the family grows. It turns out to be a multi-story “house”.
Why are nests needed? Wasps hatch their larvae in nests. Wasp larvae are fed: caterpillars and other insects, chewing them thoroughly. To feed all the larvae, you need to prepare a large amount of supplies, therefore they will destroy a huge number of harmful insects.
Conclusions: Nests are built by paper wasps The nest of wasps is made of a paper-like substance The nest has a very complex design, the color of the nest depends on building material, which was collected by wasps Wasps are food for birds. Destroying wasps means disturbing the environment, because in our gardens and vegetable gardens there will be more harmful insects eating the crop, and birds will not have enough food to feed their chicks.
Hornet's nest Contempt. About housing, a gathering of socially harmful people, dangerous people. - Now judge, Sidor Amosych, under what conditions I worked. This is not a village, this is a hornet's nest, damn it(I. Akulov. Kasyan Ostudny). The club where the SS men were standing burned like a huge fire... SS men were rushing about in the street - a disturbed hornet's nest was making noise(V. Oseeva. Vasek Trubachev and his comrades).
Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language. - M.: Astrel, AST. A. I. Fedorov. 2008.
Synonyms:See what "Hornet's Nest" is in other dictionaries:
Vespiary- Nid de guêpes ... Wikipedia
vespiary- nursery, focus Dictionary of Russian synonyms. wasp's nest noun, number of synonyms: 2 nursery (12) ... Synonym dictionary
Vespiary- 1. Unlock Iron. About a home, a gathering of socially harmful, dangerous people. F 1, 113. 2. Psk. Disapproved About a home, a house where there is no peace or order. POS 7, 21. 3. Jarg. school Joking. iron. Teacher's room. Nikitina 1998, 84. 4. Jarg. stud. Joking. iron. Dean's office... ...
vespiary- police, criminal investigation... Thieves' jargon
Hornet's Nest (film)- Hornet's Nest Nid de guêpes Genre Action, Thriller Director Siri, Florent Emilio Producer Patrick Aduyu Bo ... Wikipedia
nest- noun, p., used compare often Morphology: (no) what? nests, what? nest, (I see) what? nest, what? nest, about what? about the nest; pl. What? nests, (no) what? nests, what? nests, (I see) what? nests, what? nests, about what? about nests 1. Nest... ... Dmitriev's Explanatory Dictionary
NEST- Make nests. Jarg. tour. Sitting on a rock for a long time. Maksimov, 63. To build/make a nest. Razg. 1. Arrange your own family life, start a family. 2. Settle somewhere. on long time. F 1, 65. One nest. Sib. About dogs of the same litter. FSS, 43. On... ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings
nest- A/; nests; Wed see also nest, nesting area, nesting 1) a) A place arranged or adapted by birds for laying eggs and incubating chicks. Crow's nest, swallow's nest/. Nest... Dictionary of many expressions
nest- a, plural nests, cf. 1. A place arranged or adapted by birds for laying eggs and incubating chicks. The swallows, making nests under the roof of the barn, rustled their wings merrily. Kazakevich, Zvezda. || A place adapted by animals or... Small academic dictionary
NEST- Wed various kinds a room or place where animals raise their young. Wolf's nest, snake's, nightingale's; Wasp nest, bumblebee. An animal's nest is also called a den, a brood, a bear's den; nest in a tree, such as marten, squirrel... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
Books
- Don’t stir up the hornet’s nest, Polyakova Tatyana Viktorovna. I couldn’t find a place for myself because of the unexpected departure of Vladan Maric. Where did he disappear to? How long? Hopelessly in love, I agree to be content with little: just to be next to him,...
Any insects are a nuisance for the owners of the house in which they appear, be it house ants, cockroaches or wasps. Wasps are common inhabitants of human homes, gardens or plots. Larvae are offspring that will bring with them even more larvae and harm, so it is extremely important to know what wasp larvae look like and effective ways their destruction.
These insects can cause dangerous intestinal infections; they behave aggressively if someone tries to influence their nest. Wasps also spoil food and disturb owners with their buzzing and general presence in the apartment. Hundreds of people around the world also die every year from allergic reactions to bee stings.
These insects are among those that go through the cycle of becoming adults during their lives. The female lays a larva small size, which is equal to approximately a third of that of an adult. The embryo turns into a pupa, which quickly undergoes the process of forming internal organs: the digestive system and other systems vital for insects.
After a few days, the insect sheds its shell and becomes an adult. What do wasps feed their larvae? During his “growing up” period small insect cannot eat the same food as older individuals, the female obtains protein “products” for her offspring: spiders, ants, midges and other insects. The mother attacks her prey, rendering it paralyzed, and brings it to the nest.
The newly laid pupa is almost motionless, so the adult wasp takes care of it. The wasp larva has a yellow body; it does not have membranous and developed wings or legs, with the help of which the flying pest can capture prey and hold it. Since wasp larvae spend most of their development period in honeycombs, they do not move, and if they fall out of the shelter, they move crawling, like caterpillars, only wriggling and rolling from side to side due to the lack of limbs. The larvae have a round body on which divisions are visible
The wasp lays its offspring in honeycombs, attaching the larvae to the walls; it seals the entrance to the “cell” with a special compound so that the “baby” does not fall out. Over time, the wasp larvae reach such a size that they no longer fit into the honeycomb, so it is difficult to fall out of it.
Where to look for a wasp's nest?
The most common location for a nest in an apartment is a balcony, under the ceiling in a corner, behind shelves, under the trim, or vice versa - in a corner closer to the floor, under a window sill, on pipes.
In a private house, wasps can fly from attics, from under the roof of buildings, from piles of old things. Wasps often create their nests where they are most difficult to find. To know how to get rid of pupae of flying pests, you should know what wasp larvae look like so as not to confuse them with caterpillars.
Advice: if it is not possible to find a wasp’s home, you just need to put a piece of bread, smeared with jam, melon or meat in the room where they often live and watch their movement. The wasps will quickly smell the treat and fly off to treat themselves, and then fly back, and you can follow them.
Destruction of a nest with larvae
There are quite a lot of means for destroying wasp nests, but since over time the wasps have mutated and become more resistant to the effects of chemical components, a higher concentration of dangerous compounds is added to the substances, which can also harm human health.
Wasp larvae respond well to classic aerosols, for example, Dichlorvos, Raptor, Varana, etc. - they can be found in any grocery store. WITH widespread Such means will not cope with insects, but you can easily destroy a small nest located on a balcony, in an apartment, or in the attic. The active ingredients have an enhanced effect indoors.
More effective methods getting rid of a nest with pupae:
- Pesticides - experts recommend using them if the fight against flying pests has been going on for a long time and is not at all in your favor. The aerosol is sprayed onto the outside of the nest and inside. After 2-3 days, the insects will die, even those that fly into the house for a short time. After this, it will be possible to remove the nest;
- Insecticidal dust - you need to generously treat the “entrance” to the home and, just in case, from above. The poison will penetrate inside the house on the bodies of the wasps and have an effect on other individuals, including the larvae. This remedy is good because the insects die without their noticing.
There are also several traditional methods to get rid of wasps. Experts warn that these methods are used only if the pests have settled in your home for the first time and have not yet multiplied too much.
Home control methods include the following:
- The smell of burnt pine needles - this method of control is suitable for those who do not want to destroy insects and for residents of private houses. If the wasps have settled near the stove, then you need to drown it with pine branches until the wasps fly away. Negative trait– this method will not help immediately and is not available to everyone;
- Tree resin - a red thread is treated with resin and stretched from the nest to the fruit tree;
- Foam is a quick and rather ruthless way to close the entrance and exit from a home polyurethane foam completely, without leaving a single crack, after which the nest is “cut off” and taken to a safe distance;
- Hot water – the nest must be poured with boiling water and taken out of the home. This method is very risky, since such an attack on the shelter will enrage them, so before carrying out the procedure it is necessary to wear a protective suit;
- Bag - cover the nest with a thick bag, disconnect it from the surface, seal it with tape at the base and burn it. This method requires quick reactions;
- Kerosene – treat the nest with kerosene, after a while the wasps will die and you can get rid of their shelter.
Conclusion
What do wasp larvae look like to be able to recognize them? They differ little from adult individuals, only they do not have developed legs and wings. But by destroying one larva, you will not be able to get rid of the wasp invasion, so you need to influence the nest itself using folk or chemical methods.
Video: Large wasp larvae
Wasps are a source of trouble for people. These insects destroy fruit crops, fly into houses for sweets and sting very painfully. Their bites cause allergies, suffocation and swelling, which can even be fatal. Pest control will be more effective if you first find out what a wasp nest is, study the behavior of its inhabitants and their way of life. This information will also help you extract from unpleasant neighborhood benefit.
How wasps build their homes
To know what a wasp's nest looks like, take a look at the photo. Interestingly, to build it, the wasps use paper that they produce themselves. To do this, they grind the wood into powder and glue it together with salivary secretions. The wasp is capable of producing several types of such building materials - from thin paper to rough cardboard.
Nest construction begins after wintering. One or more females take part in this process. First they choose appropriate place for the future home - on a tree, under the roof of a house or basement. Then the females hang up the saliva, and when it hardens, they attach the first wax cell to it - the base of the nest.
Then the wasps begin to look for the source material for paper production, which is most often the bark and wood of an old tree. They wet them with saliva, causing them to become soft and change color. The female scrapes off the softened wood, rolls it into a ball with her paws and carries it to the future nest. There she chews the material thoroughly and once again moistens it with saliva. After this, she rolls the softened ball into a thin sheet, attaches it to the socket and goes for the next piece of material.
Wasps choose for different parts of the home different wood: for the outer shell - dry wood, and for the inner shell - young branches. The insect adds wood chips to the inner frame to make the wasp's nest stronger.
In addition, during the construction of the nest, the female lays eggs. Young individuals gradually hatch from them and help the mother in construction. When there are more than a dozen young wasps, the female begins to focus exclusively on building honeycombs and breeding offspring.
But the construction of the nest does not end there. In one season, wasps rebuild their homes at least 5 times. Females build new shells on top of the previous ones, for which they use material from the already built part of the home, processing it with their powerful jaws.
Life in the nest
After completion, the nest turns out to be so cozy and spacious that it can easily accommodate dozens and even hundreds of insects. Over the summer, one female breeds offspring in the amount of several thousand individuals, most of which immediately fly away and begin to build a separate home. Only a small number of wasps remain in the parental home. They are engaged in obtaining food and monitoring the strength of the nest.
