Wasps:
Facts, Identification & Control
Some wasps are predatory, while others are parasitic. Predatory wasps serve an important role in pollination. Parasitic wasps typically assist in the management of other pests. Some wasps are aggressive species, which sting when threatened, and, unlike bees, wasps are capable of stinging multiple times.
Male wasps fertilize female wasps that develop late in the summer. These will be next year’s queens. These fertilized females will overwinter in a sheltered location. The rest of the colony will perish when winter comes. Next spring, the queen will start laying eggs. The fertilized eggs that they produce will become workers, building the nest and feeding the larvae produced by the queen. Late in the summer, the queen will produce unfertilized eggs. These will develop into males. The males will fertilize the wasps that will become the queens of the following year.