How and from what wasps make nests

The photo of the aspen nest impresses with the complexity of the structure, equipment, materials. In one huge "architectural building" can accommodate about 1 million individuals. Construction functions are assigned to a specific caste of workers os. The hornet's nest expands as the family grows. In most cases, wasps return to their former home after winteringlay the start of a new family.

Construction material

Ready wasp nest cannot but impress. Outside it looks like an egg of a smooth, oval shape. Inside, numerous cells are located, located in a certain way. Building material resembles ancient parchment. Mostly gray, brownish. Because of the way the wasps build a nest, they were nicknamed paper wasps. The family is one of the largest, includes species, subspecies.

What wasps make nests from and how building material is obtained, also deserves respect. The insect sits on the wood, spits a certain amount of its own secret, under the influence of which the upper tissues of the tree bark are liquefied. The wasp catches the upper layer with powerful jaws, pulls on itself, as if scraping. When the amount she needs is typed, she goes to the place where other relatives make the hive.

Arriving at the right place, the wasp once again carefully chews the building material with its jaws. Under the influence of saliva, the wood becomes sticky, viscous, gray or brown, depending on which tree was extracted. The wasp spits the finished building material onto the already formed honeycombs, again stretches the jaws, giving its structure an oval shape. So a new thin partition appears.

Interesting!

The wasp extracts wood elements from the bark of various trees, stumps, fences, wooden farm buildings. If building material is not enough or the uterus finds a place suitable for growing larvae, wasps build a nest underground in old stumps, hollows, abandoned bird houses.

Construction process

Fertilized young chooses a place for her future housing female - uterus. It sticks to the base an adhesive substance extracted from wood, stretches, a leg is formed, on which the first honeycombs are subsequently built. Initially, they are very few; they are necessary for growing and feeding larvae.

The process begins in early spring. Within a month, a new generation of working wasps appears that are embarking on the active construction of the hive. The uterus resets the authority of the architect, only reproduction of offspring.

• A hornet’s nest is being built at an accelerated pace, since the number of members of a large family is rapidly growing. At the base of the handle, new cells appear, which overlap each other, form a honeycomb.
• As the number of cells increases, the shape of the structure begins to emerge in the form of a bowl. Over time, it increases in depth, expands from all sides, becomes like a sphere. In the center is a hole for entry.
• Gradually, the structure of the second part of the sphere begins. The number of cells decreases to the top. The finished large hornet's nest resembles a cocoon.

After the construction is completed, the uterus removes several layers of internal cells in the first sphere. As the wasps make the honeycombs wide, the space inside is freed. The outer shell of the nest is thin, paper. It is formed from long, thin, elastic plates. In most cases, recycled building material is used, which is taken after the destruction of the inner layers of the hive.

What does a hornet's nest look like inside

The internal structure is funny, thoughtful, amazing. Honeycombs are placed vertically with unique floors, after every 3-6 rows there is free space. It is also surprising that all cells are directed downwards in one direction. A sectional photo of an aspen nest can be seen below. You can cut the hive only if you are sure that it is empty.

Interesting!

The average typical structure of wasps does not exceed the size of the apple. In some cases, giant round nests of wasps grow to incredible dimensions. The diameter is 1 m. Wasps in an aspen nest of incredible size read several thousand, up to a million.

The hive device is thought out to the smallest detail. The inner part is always the most durable, reliable. Honeycombs are built not of thin, sticky secretions that look like paper, but of wood chips, in such a size that they can carry workers and attach them. Inside the aspen nest there are chambers for larvae, a room for the uterus, pantries for food and much more.

Wintering place

Looking at the internal, external structures of the aspen nest, it seems that the family will spend more than one year there. Just like this happens with ants. However, large buildings, complex architectural buildings play the role of a summer house.

With the onset of autumn, young sexually mature females mate, begin to look for a suitable place for wintering - cracks in the wall, wooden buildings, tree bark, old stumps, abandoned hollows. Over time, metabolic processes slow down, the female falls into suspended animation, sleeps until the beginning of spring. From the first warm days, he begins the construction of a new hive.

On a note!

The remaining members of the family in the fall die from the cold or become victims of natural enemies. They lose their previous activity, become slow, vulnerable. At the end of the season, the old uterus, working individuals, males die.

Where wasp nests are built

The young uterus chooses a place where there is in the immediate vicinity of building material, food supplies. In the wild, insects arrange housing on a tree with a large, dense crown, under old stumps, abandoned bird houses. However, there are cases of the structure of the hive under a stone on a blade of grass. Where a young female considers it necessary to build housing, there will continue to be construction workers.

Insects can build hives near a person - under the roof of a house, household wooden outbuildings, in the attic, balcony, live in the garden, courtyard, kitchen garden, vineyard. And also on trees, bushes, old stumps on the site. If in the wild wasps bring a lot of benefits, destroy harmful insects, in the garden, cottage, yard, become real pests. Therefore man is trying get rid of wasps of other nests on the balcony, in the country, vineyard.

On a note!

Angry wasp is very simple. A few sharp movements are enough as she rushes to attack. During the attack it emits special sounds - signals, warns other members of the public about the danger, and also calls for help. If there is a nest nearby, an entire swarm can attack a person.

Methods of struggle

To get rid of the aspen nest on the land, it is poured with boiled water or doused with combustible material, set on fire. The procedure is performed in the late evening, when all members of the family are assembled, going to spend the night, or in the early morning, when they have not had time to fly away.

When placing the hive under the roof of the house, in the attic, tree, the nest is immersed in water. They fill the bucket, carefully bring it to the aspen nest, immerse it in water. Another modern way pest control - use of a vacuum cleaner. They drag insects into the bag at full power, then throw them into the water.

To prevent the construction of nests, repellent plants are planted on the land - mint, lemon balm, marigolds, marigold. Walls process insecticidal substance, paint, varnish, boric acid solution.