Wasps have annual colonies that last for only one year. The colony dies in the fall with only the newly produced queens surviving the winter. The new queens leave their nests during late summer and mate with males. The queens then seek out overwintering sites such as under loose bark, in rotted logs, under siding or tile and in other small crevices and spaces where they become dormant. These queens become active again the following spring when temperatures warm up. They search for favorable conditions to construct new nests. They do not reuse old nests.