Words and Image ©2016 – Clarence Holm

Still there in the tree
Queen’s paper throne left empty
Male’s lives forgotten

-Clarence Holm

According to the University of Minnesota Extension Service– 

“Yellowjacket and paper wasp colonies survive only one year, referred to as an annual colony. Queens are the only members of the colony that survive the winter. Newly produced and mated queens leave their old nests and search for protected sites in which to overwinter, such as under loose tree bark, old rotten stumps, or within buildings, such as under siding. In April or May, each queen becomes active with warmer weather and selects a suitable location and starts to construct her nest. Each nest is built from scratch each year while the previous year’s nests are not reused”