How Likely Are Wasps to Return to Their Old Nests?

Wasps rarely ever return to old nests and prefer rebuilding them, though some situations may encourage them to do so. As wasps are seasonal bugs, each nest will only be occupied for no longer than a few months and then left alone for the rest of the year. Only the wasp queen survives during winter and for longer than a couple of months, so she’s the one responsible for building nests and reproducing.

Whenever the queen wasp wakes up from its hibernation cycle, it will look for a spot to build its nest. Building a new nest can vary from species to species, as each will use different materials such as clay, dirt, or wood, while also preferring different spots such as the soil or high places. So they will hang around areas that have fresh material and start building the nest in a new location, even if it’s close to the old one.

One particular reason that will encourage the wasps to reuse a nest or build a new one on top of an old one is location. If the only vantage point is occupied by the previous one, they’ll go for it.