Waspy Wakey

[dor]

It is not unusual for us to get a few queen wasps sneaking in to the boat in the autumn.  Often they lie up behind the curtains or other areas that are out of the way.  When we go to the boat in the early winter and get it nice and warm we usually wake up a few, but after a few trips we reckon to have woken them all up.  By January they stop appearing.   However last weekend we had six appear, dozily buzzing about the boat.  At least three different species.  Now what intrigues me is why they woke up on this weekend, when their fellows had been woken up by a warmed-up boat a couple of months or more ago.  This was probably the warmest weekend since the autumn as far as the external weather is concerned, but if it is the warmth that wakes them up, why did these ones sleep through the earlier times when the boat was well warmed up. 

Any theories as to why most woke up by January after a few trips. but these all decided to turn out this weekend?

[cuthound]

Perhaps they just overslept? 

[system 4-50]

I had 3 on Sunday, found one of them in my bed!

[Jerra]

It is probably a combination of temperature and a lowering of the cryoprotectant chemicals in their body.  Possibly also a bit to do with photoperiodism.

Edited March 14, 2017 by Jerra

[ditchcrawler]

Had onhe fly by me while waiting for a lock today on the Middlewich Branch

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Jerra said:

It is probably a combination of temperature and a lowering of the cryoprotectant chemicals in their body.  Possibly also a bit to do with photoperiodism.

And I was just going to say lengthening of the days .................... 

[Jerra]

1 hour ago, Meanderingviking said:

And I was just going to say lengthening of the days .................... 

Great minds .........

[dor]

I understand about the day length and temperature and changes in body chemistry.  But why did the others wake up inside the boat a couple of months ago, then these ones  all decide to wake up last weekend?

[Jerra]

5 minutes ago, dor said:

I understand about the day length and temperature and changes in body chemistry.  But why did the others wake up inside the boat a couple of months ago, then these ones  all decide to wake up last weekend?

Different species?   Different amounts of the cryoprotectant chemicals in the body?  It is I suppose possible for individuals of the same species to have managed to produce different quantities of the chemical depending on their state of health/fitness/food stored in the body etc.  This could lead to differing wake up times.