Do Wasps and Ants Survive the Winter?

Seeing a wasp crawl across the window in November, or ants in the kitchen in January, makes people wonder what's going on. Here's what actually happens to wasps and ants in a New Jersey winter, and when it's a sign of a problem.

Do wasps survive the winter?

Most of them don't. Yellow jacket and paper wasp colonies only last one season.

• The workers die. Iowa State University Extension notes that yellow jacket nests are annual and the workers die off in freezing weather.
• Only new queens survive. In early fall, colonies produce males and new queens. After mating, the queens find a protected place to spend the winter. NC State Extension lists hollow trees, bark, woodpiles, attics, chimneys, barns and under siding.
• The old nest is empty. Neither yellow jackets nor paper wasps reuse an old nest. Next spring, each surviving queen starts a brand new one.

Why are there wasps in my house in winter?

Usually one of two reasons:

1. A queen spending the winter in your walls or attic woke up on a warm day and wandered toward the light.
2. There was a nest in a wall void this year. Iowa State Extension says wasps found indoors in fall usually come from a nest inside a wall, and furnace heat keeps a few alive longer than normal.

Indoor wasps in fall and winter are sluggish but can still sting. Swat or vacuum them. Spraying inside the house does little, according to Iowa State.

Should I remove an old wasp nest in winter?

It's safe once the colony has died off, usually after a few hard freezes. The nest won't be reused, but taking it down makes it easier to spot new nests in spring. If the nest was inside a wall, leave it. Just seal the outside entry hole once activity stops.

To keep queens out next fall, NC State recommends screening attic vents.

Do ants survive the winter?

Yes. Unlike wasps, the whole ant colony survives. Outdoor colonies move deeper into the soil or into logs and stumps, cluster together and barely move until spring.

So if you see ants walking around inside in winter, they're likely nesting inside the house, where it stays warm. Big black ants in winter are a strong sign of carpenter ants in the structure. Read more in ants in the house in winter.

Do wasps come back to the same place?

Not to the same nest, but often to the same kind of spot. A sheltered eave, deck or shed that had a nest this year is a likely place for one next year. Check those spots in April and May, when nests are still small.

When to call

• A wasp nest inside a wall, or wasps coming into living space
• Ants inside in the middle of winter, especially big black ones
• Lots of overwintering pests like stink bugs and wasps in the attic

See wasp control, carpenter ant control and ant control, or call (732) 527-5770.

Common questions

Do wasps die in the winter? The workers do. Only mated queens survive, hidden in protected spots like attics, woodpiles and under siding.

Do wasps reuse old nests? No. Yellow jackets and paper wasps build a new nest every spring.

Why are there wasps in my house in December? Usually an overwintering queen, or wasps from a nest that was inside a wall.

Do ants die in winter? No. The colony goes dormant and survives. Ants active inside in winter are likely nesting in the house.