Strategies of social wasps for thermal homeostasis in light paper nests

1. With the derived free-run temperature of light paper nests the influence of the thermal capacity of the nest or the nest site, respectively, on thermal homeostasis is quantified.

2. Gravimetric information from the continuous investigation of the nest weight coupled with temperature and humidity measurement allows the correlation of the colonies’ foraging behavior with their heat production inside the nest.

3. Wasps (Vespa crabro) do not regulate their nest environment towards a specific and constant temperature but rather build nests adapted to their foraging behavior and general energy budget.

Keywords: Social wasps; Hornet nest; Thermal homeostasis; Thermoregulation