Removing Wasp Nest In Winter: Safe Or Unsafe With 1 Lone Survivor?

Wasps are no respecters of human activities and will not mind sharing a habitat with humans. Is removing wasp nest in winter safe or unsafe though?

Many people speculate that during the winter, every member of the wasp colony should be completely wiped out, and then it is safe to carry out wasp nest removal.

What if we told you there is always a survivor? Keep reading to find out about this member and more!

 

Do Wasps Die in the Winter?

Is it safe to remove a wasp nest in winter? Before answering this question, there are certain questions that must be answered and factors that must be considered.

Do wasps die in the winter? During winter, every member of the colony dies off, including:

• Old queens
• Female workers
• Drones (males), etc

They all die, leaving only the fertilized queens. The fertilized queens leave the colony to search for shelter (usually in crevices), where they hibernate until spring.

During spring, they emerge from these crevices to start new colonies and so the cycle continues.

So with this being said, is removing wasp nest in winter safe? Well, even though it is likely that the nest would be abandoned and empty during winter, it is still advisable that you tread with caution.

 

Read also: How To Get a Wasp Out of Your House | Riddance Method

 

 What is the Lifecycle of a Wasp?

If you want to know if removing wasp nest in winter is safe, you must first be familiar with its lifecycle.

The lifecycle of a wasp is somewhat similar to that of a bumble bee, as they both are left with fertilized queens during the winter.

Below is the lifecycle of the wasp:

• The Queens are born late in the summer, along with other colony members.
• Just before winter, the queens go to search for drones (males) with whom they mate.
• After mating, she looks for crevices where she fattens herself with enough food.
• Remember, she mated, so she carries the sperm together with her eggs inside her.

With all these things, she has all she needs to begin her colony. Now, as we stated earlier, most members of the colony do not survive the winter (even the queens sometimes).

Any queen that survives, though, begins a new colony, and then the cycle begins over again.

 

When Do Wasps Build Nests?

Due to the wasp’s lifecycle, the nest is built all over again. As mentioned earlier, every member of the colony dies unless the queen. She starts the new colony.

Wasps build their nests during spring, which is after the winter period. Their nests are usually made of wood, which they first chew to make it flexible for easy building.

The nests range in size from medium sizes to much larger sizes and have textures that are paper-like.

The nest is within this exterior texture, where you’d find colony cells where the queens and young wasps are raised.

If you ever find an abandoned, underdeveloped nest, it may be that the queen was disturbed or that she found a much better site to build her nest.

Besides removing wasp nest in winter, a wasp nest is always a beauty to behold due to their creativity

 

Read also: How to Get Rid of Wasps Around your Home and Workplace

 

Where Do Wasps Build Nests?

Wasps often construct their nests in hidden places, such as:

• Roofs
• Trees
• Attics, etc.

This is because their nests are brittle and paper-like (as we mentioned earlier), and will easily be affected by wind and heavy downpours.

It should be noted that wasps do not really mind sharing a habitat with humans, hence, you should not be surprised when you see a wasp nest inside your house.

The queen, after spotting the perfect nesting spot, begins building and then lays her eggs. The eggs hatch and out of them emerge the female workers, who then continue constructing the nest.

 

Is Removing Wasp Nest in Winter Safe?

Finally, to the question we have all been waiting for: is removing wasp nest in winter safe? Well, yes, it is. From most of the information gathered above, it is certain that removing wasp nest in winter is safe.

In winter, the nest is somewhat empty as almost every member of the colony dies off from the harsh weather, leaving only the fertilized queen, who goes off to look for a suitable breeding spot.

However, it is advisable that you be careful and cautious when removing wasp nest in winter. You can even hire the services of pest control experts around you who can help you safely remove the nest without any casualties or risks.

 

What are the Factors to Consider When Removing Wasp Nest in Winter?

1. The emptiness of the nest.
2. The season of the year (winter, of course).
3. The residents of the house (pets, children, people with allergies, etc).
4. The location of the nest.
5. Who will remove the nest?

 

How To Carry Out Wasp Nest Removal in Winter

• Consider the Nest Location:

You will notice that one of the factors mentioned above is the location of the nest. Before carrying out wasp nest removal in winter, you must first consider the location of the nest as this greatly determines how easy or difficult it will be to remove the nest.

• Wear Protective Clothing:

After observing no activity in a wasp nest, it is still important that you wear protective clothing to avoid any unforeseen casualties.

These protective clothing items include:

• • Long sleeves
  • Gloves
  • Eye goggles, etc.
• Check for Activity:

So we decided to put the first for the last. Of course, before even proceeding to carry out any wasp nest removal in winter, you must observe the nest to ensure that there is no pest activity.

 

Read also: Where do Wasps Go in Winter?

 

Conclusion

Is it safe to remove a wasp nest in winter? Well, removing wasp nest in winter can be quite tempting, as it seems very safe but cautionary steps must be taken and factors must be considered to avoid regrets.

Should you, however, be dealing with a large nest, you should do well to hire the services of professional pest control experts so as to avoid any casualties or allergic reactions during wasp nest removal.

What do you think of our take on the wasp nest removal in winter? Do you think it is unsafe? Let us know your thoughts on this via the comments section below!

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