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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Hornets, Yellowjackets; Paper, Potter, Mason, and Pollen Wasps; and Allies (Vespidae) » Paper Wasps (Polistinae) » Umbrella Paper Wasps (Polistes) » Subgenus Aphanilopterus (Polistes Subgenus Aphanilopterus) » Guinea Paper Wasp (Polistes exclamans)
Photo#716014
Polistes Nest Question - Polistes exclamans
Copyright © 2012 jgcalifornia

Polistes Nest Question - Polistes exclamans
Valley Village , Los Angeles County, California, USA
December 31, 1969
I believe these were ID'd as Polistes. I noticed they completed making their nest and since then, have not seen one wasp around. Does anyone know why or do they leave after its completed?

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Polistes Nest Question - Polistes exclamans Polistes Nest Question - Polistes exclamans
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Contributed by jgcalifornia on 20 October, 2012 - 3:09pm
Last updated 22 December, 2012 - 11:00am

Moved
Moved from Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies.
… George Waldren, 22 October, 2012 - 2:30pm login or register to post comments

Polistes exclamans
The adults could have abandoned the nest due to ants. There's also the possibility the nest was sprayed if it's in a public area.

Are there still capped cells and larvae? If not, the colony has likely run its course before winter. Nests are not reused, although in the spring new gynes may create a nest near their parent nest from the previous season.
… George Waldren, 22 October, 2012 - 2:29pm login or register to post comments

 
Hi. The nest was never spray
Hi. The nest was never sprayed, i do all the gardening here and we dont do that.
So would they go to all that trouble working on it and then abandon it?
I uploaded a pic of the nest. Cell phone pic, so not so great.
Thanks for the info!
… jgcalifornia, 22 October, 2012 - 3:15pm login or register to post comments

 
It looks like the colony ran its course
If you take a look underneath the nest, all of the capped cells will likely be open, and no eggs, larvae or pupae will be left.
… George Waldren, 22 October, 2012 - 3:21pm login or register to post comments

 
so what does that mean, they
so what does that mean, they made it then decided to move on?
… jgcalifornia, 22 October, 2012 - 3:35pm login or register to post comments

 
The primary purpose of the nest
is to protect the developing eggs, larvae and pupae, -- the future generation of wasps for next season.

In the US and Canada, there is only one generation of wasps per year. When fall comes, the new females will mate with males from other nests, and hibernate when winter comes. The rest of the wasps will slowly abandon the nest, and probably fly around feeding on the nectar of the last flowering plants, and die naturally. The new females will emerge from hibernation in the spring, start a new nest, and the cycle continues. Old nests are not reused.
… George Waldren, 22 October, 2012 - 3:42pm login or register to post comments

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