Where do Wasps Go at Night? Do Wasps Sleep?

You’ve probably heard the recommendation that you should take care of a wasp nest during the evening hours when the sun has started to go down and they are much less active. This is when wasps will come back to their nests for the night. Essentially, you can kill the most wasps at this time of evening. Is night the best time to treat wasps, or is this a myth? Will wasps attack at night? These are questions that will help you stay safe if you have a problem with wasps on your property.

 Where Do Wasps Go at Night?

At night, wasps will return to their nest. If you pay attention to a wasp nest in your yard, you’ll see the wasps starting to return right around the time that the sun begins to set.

This is the perfect time to watch them if you’re unsure where the actual nest is located. They will remain inside of the nest until the morning hours when the sun is rising.

Light quickly activates the behavior of wasps, so they’re easily woken up. Because they’re very inactive at night and harder to arouse, you can attempt to remove a nest during this time. You’ll be able to get rid of many of them at once. During the early morning hours, wasps will leave the nest in droves to begin their work for the day.

They may get to work finding sources for nest materials. They may look for food as well. Because they’re so active at this time of day, it’s not recommended that you try and remove a nest during the day. Not only are you at a bigger risk of being stung, but you also wouldn’t remove many wasps even if you managed to remove the nest of spray it with an insecticide. Most of the wasps would be out and about. They would only be more agitated when they come back at night to see that their home has been removed.

Do Wasps Sleep at Night? 

 Just like humans need some shut-eye at the end of a long day, wasps & bees also require sleep. Many studies have shown that determined wasps have specific behavioral patterns that they follow during the day and the night.

There is a specific behavior that they have during the night hours that resembles a pattern of sleep. Because wasps are a lot different than your average mammal, it’s hard to understand if they’re really sleeping. What we do know is that at night, wasps decrease their mobility and overall activity.

They also have a specific posture that they go into when they are presumably resting. Their bodies’ temperature will decrease, and a wasp that is fully sleeping will be difficult to wake up. A wasp that is just resting or in the process of moving can react more quickly.

Can Wasps See at Night?

While wasps are sleeping, they’re not going to be immediately aware of what’s going on around them. It’s pretty similar to how we are as humans. They don’t know what’s happening during their sleep cycle, but they can quickly wake up and see what’s going on around them once they have a reason to get moving.

Wasps are attracted to light. While wasps can’t see well at night (in the dark), they will choose to move towards a light source if they see one.

If you’re using some sort of flashlight or headlamp, this could quickly blow your cover. Try to do what you can with low light that is elsewhere on your property. Just make sure that you can see clearly for safety purposes.

Do Wasps Make Noise at Night?

Wasps are typically quiet at night, but if you are close to the nest you might be able to hear worker wasps repairing their nest or larvae moving about. 

How Do I Get Rid of Wasps at Night?

There are a few methods that you can use to get rid of a wasp problem during the night hours. Before you begin, get dressed in protective clothing that covers all the exposed parts of your body. The wasps may be sleeping, but they may begin to wake up when they are agitated with pesticides or remove their nest.

Several sprays on the market will quickly kill the wasps once applied. Make sure you’re wearing a respirator mask when applying the product, so you’re not breathing in these dangerous chemicals. If you’re looking for something natural to use, wasps are naturally repelled by peppermint oil, ginger, and spearmint. Mix all of them for the most effective DIY spray available. Soapy water also slows the wasps down and can kill them.

Do Wasps Come Out at Night?

While there aren’t any species of wasps in the United States that remain active during the nighttime hours, there are other places in the world where wasps awake at night and sleep during the daytime hours.

They are called the Apoica species of wasp. They are very sensitive to light, so even the moon’s light will affect their sleep cycle. They wake only during the very dark nights when no moon is present.

Whatever method you choose for removing wasps from your home or property, make sure you think the plan through ahead of time. In addition to wearing protective clothing, you should have your escape plan set ahead of time. If the wasps become extremely agitated by what you’re doing, know where you plan to run too quickly.

Ensure there isn’t anything in your way, and make sure there isn’t anybody else in the area when you begin. You can also contact a professional to take care of the problem for you if you think this would be a safer pest removal method. It’s generally pretty affordable to have a wasp problem taken care of for you. You can get an estimate for the job and then decide if you’re going to tackle the problem on your own or with a professional’s help.

Sources:

https://sciencing.com/happens-bees-wasps-night-8048139.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3134451/

https://jeb.biologists.org/content/211/11/1737