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Especially in the warm months, wasps are always a nuisance in the garden, on the balcony and on the terrace. But when do wasps actually fly out of the nest?
In a nutshell
- The wasp is only active when it is bright
- As the heat increases, more animals fly out for longer periods
- The exact time for departure and return therefore varies over the course of the year
Requirements for flight activities
In order for wasps to fly at all, a few basic requirements must be met:
Wasp colony on a nest
- Warmth as a basis for general activity
- sunlight for orientation
- Dry weather
While drought or rain can affect flight behavior on a daily basis, light and heat determine general framework conditions that influence the flight behavior of the members of the Vespinae family.
rain
Insect wings only work when it's dry. In addition, raindrops represent an almost bullet-like mortal danger for the small animals. Finally, moisture affects the ability of tracheal breathers to absorb oxygen. It can therefore be generally stated that the wasp only begins its flight activities on dry days.
light
Without sunlight, the wasp can neither orient itself nor recognize enemies or prey. Their flight times are therefore based on the time of day and begin at the earliest with sunrise and end with increasing dusk. Wasps fly most actively in bright midday sun with optimal lighting conditions.
warmth
The warmer it gets, the more active wasps become. This means that on the one hand they increase their activities in the course of the spring and that a decrease in flight activities can be expected again in the autumn.
On the other hand, it also means that the animals can be found in flight at any time during the day. However, most of the animals are out and about during the warmest part of the day, from late morning to late afternoon. They are also significantly more active than in the off-peak times.
Notice: Do not confuse the evening return of the animals to their nest with a sleeping phase. Because even in the nest they are awake most of the time. If they are disturbed, they swarm out in the dark and protect their brood.
frequently asked Questions
Until when in the year do you still see wasps?From the end of September the wasp queens die off. Subsequently, the wasp colony also dies, so that no more flying animals can be found by mid to late October at the latest.
Do wasps have a human-like sleep cycle?No. Wasps only sleep 2 to 3 hours during the day. Each sleep phase lasts only around 10 minutes. For the rest of the day, the animals take care of the tasks at hand, including excursions and prey hunting, “in shifts”.
Do you generally not see wasps in autumn and winter?It can happen that individual specimens find a shelter with moderate temperatures. Then you can actually come across a single specimen late in the year. But these are definitely exceptions.