The wasps are colonial insects living in social groups. Each colony is established in the spring by an overwintering queen which makes a smaller starter nest from paper made by itself by mixing wood and
saliva.
The colony grows throughout the summer and the nest with it. Many thousand individuals are often to be found associated with each nest, with the workers feeding on nectar, sweet materials and at certain times insect larvae and other animal pieces.
The colony develops males towards the end of the summer to mate with the presumptive queens which
when mated overwinter start a new colony the following year.