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  • [INTRO ♪]

  • Wasps have a pretty nasty reputation.

  • When it comes to protecting their nests, they can be quite aggressivewhich isn't really their fault.

  • They're just protecting their home and their families.

  • But that's a whole different thing.

  • See, as mean as these animals might appear, they're not always in anger mode.

  • In the fall, some species chill out and get together for what could only be calledwasp parties!”

  • And much like our parties, these soirees can provide some fascinating insights into their social lives.

  • People often report seeing large gatherings of paper wasps as summer slides into winter.

  • But these aren't aggressive swarms.

  • Instead, the wasps just sort of seem to be hanging out.

  • This lesser-known part of the wasps' life cycle is called pre-hibernation.

  • See, wasp colonies pop up in the spring, each started by one or more females which are called foundresses.

  • By the summer, the colony is full of workers bustling about to take care of the eggs and babies that the foundresses produce.

  • Then, as summer ends, the colony collapses.

  • The sterile workers die.

  • The males mate with the remaining fertile females.

  • And then, the males die, too.

  • And these mated femalesall potential queens called gyneswill spend the winter hibernating, waiting to start the whole yearly cycle over again when the flowers bloom.

  • But in some places, temperatures stay warm enough that they still have some time before they have to settle in.

  • So, they gather in groups, especially near the tops of tall structures.

  • No one's really sure what it is about tallness that they're attracted to, but they sure seem to like the roofs of silos or the tips of telephone poles.

  • Sometimes it's just a handful of wasps; and sometimes, it's hundreds.

  • It's thought that these numbers might help keep them safe from predators and from the coming cold.

  • And for decades, many entomologists assumed these gatherings were pretty boring.

  • But it turns out that much like human parties, there are some fascinating social dynamics going on.

  • With no nests to defend, the wasps are pretty docilenot only toward intruders like us, but also towards each other.

  • They'll chill alongside individuals from multiple colonies, and sometimes multiple species.

  • And even though they're all potential queens, a new social hierarchy forms.

  • The wasps have been observed biting, lunging, and mounting each other, though no one gets badly hurt or kicked out of the group.

  • They're just establishing who's in charge.

  • Some scientists have even characterized this behavior as playing.

  • Much like puppies or kittens, these wasps may be play fighting, because in this low-stress environment, they can practice the skills they'll need to establish who's the boss in the spring.

  • But that's not to say that there are no stakes in these games.

  • See, the females who lose these competitions act subordinate for the rest of the party,

  • and some even fetch food for the group like workers in colonies usually do!

  • And these social interactions seem to influence who wins in the long run.

  • The lowest ranking wasps rarely survive the winter.

  • And the more dominant a wasp is during pre-hibernation, the more likely she is to become the dominant foundress of a colony in the spring.

  • Entomologists have noted that the highest-ranking wasps at the parties show the traits that identify dominant foundresses, such as larger ovaries and a bigger body size.

  • So, these chill gatherings may actually serve as early testing grounds where the wasps practice the social hierarchy that will benefit them later.

  • Far from being a boring time when the wasps are just waiting around, it may be that pre-hibernation is an essential step in preparing future foundresses for spring.

  • So if you come across a swarm of laid-back wasps this fall, don't be a buzzkill.

  • Leave them alone so they can ring in the winter their way.

  • Thanks for watching!

  • If you want to learn more about wasps and why they're actually really awesome, you should check out our video on what would happen if we killed them all.

  • And don't forget to subscribe!

  • [OUTRO ♪]

[INTRO ♪]

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