How Do Wasps Survive the Winter? A Detailed Explanation of Wasps' Overwintering Methods
Wasps are not commonly seen in daily life, though there is a greater chance of encountering them in rural areas. So have you ever wondered how wasps survive the winter? Let's take a look!
1. How Wasps Survive the Winter
When winter approaches, wasps huddle together for warmth. Fertilized female wasps leave the nest one after another to seek shelter from the wind in wall cracks, haystacks and other places, huddling together to overwinter. The lower the temperature, the tighter they huddle; when the temperature rises slightly, the cluster loosens, and when the temperature is above 7°C, they begin to disperse.
2. What to Do When You Encounter a Wasp
1. Raise your awareness of precautions
Wasps are sensitive to the color white, to odors and to moving objects. The chemically synthesized substances and scents contained in cosmetics often mimic natural floral fragrances and easily attract wasps. Therefore, when out on an outing, do not disturb wasps, and wear a hat when going out; it is best to wear dark long-sleeved clothing; do not drink alcohol or use cosmetics.
2. Do not run away
If you come across a wasp nest, you should immediately crouch down or lie flat, and quickly use clothing, paper, plastic bags or similar to cover exposed skin, especially the head and face; if you must run away, never run with the wind, because the swarm, aided by the wind, will fly even faster.
3. Treat the wound
After being stung by a wasp, you should treat it as soon as possible, including thoroughly removing the stinger from the site (if the stinger remains in the skin, it should be removed as early as possible, either by prying it out with a small needle, pulling it out with tweezers or lifting it off with adhesive tape); do not squeeze the stinger; rinsing thoroughly with clean water and applying ice can reduce the local reaction.
Wasp venom is alkaline, so a weakly acidic solution can be used; for example, the affected area can be washed with vinegar or 1% acetic acid (but bee venom is acidic and requires a weakly alkaline solution, such as sodium bicarbonate, soapy water, clean water or normal saline, to clean the wound).
3. It should be noted that if after being stung a rash immediately appears all over the body, along with allergic reactions such as vomiting, dizziness, headache or difficulty breathing, the person must be sent to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment immediately.
That is all that Tuliu.com has summarized and organized for you today regarding questions about how wasps survive the winter. We hope this article has been helpful to you.