Mid September finds that the inevitable has happened. The colony is splitting up. Males departed a while ago and are long gone. Workers are dieing off and the founders are likely to be just hanging on

With the nest remaining permanently devoid of brood and things looking so bleak for this colony, one can only think that this is the end, right? Wrong. When I look at this image I see the ending of one empire and the beginning of another. Nearly every wasp you see here is likely to be a queen. This colony was VERY productive, and there were a lot more wasps hanging around that are not in the image. Overall I would say a little over 40 females total right now.

We will see what next year holds. I am hoping some of these girls will return and found their nest right next to this one and the story will continue on. With their mothers having completed their life cycle and ultimately their purpose in life, it is time for them to carry on the successful gynes.