Wasps

Wasps are yellow and black in colour and are social
insects living in nests of up to around 10,000
worker wasps. Wasps can grow up to 19mm in
size and are mainly found in gardens, woodlands
and meadows.

Wasps live in paper nests, made by chewing small amounts of wood from trees, reeds or garden fences. In Gardens, wasps will not construct their own burrow but will use existing ones abandoned by other animals. Wasps can also live in garden sheds, garages and lofts where they will construct their nests within the eaves.
They will defend the nest and will sting anything that
disturbs them.

Wasps are mainly found in the summer, as all
expect the young mated queen wasp will die at the
end of autumn. In late Spring the queen wasp will
emerge and start to look for a new nest site.
She will then start to build a nest and lay her eggs. They will be female worker wasps who will take over the building of the nest, whilst the queen wasp lays more eggs. Towards the end of the summer she will lay more eggs which will produce male wasps and fertile female wasps which will become next years queen wasps. They will swam out of the colony and mate, with the male wasp dying shortly after.