Straight answerWasp nests start small in spring and grow all summer. In Auckland, searches for wasp nest removal climb through early summer and peak in February. Landcare Research names February to May as the peak wasp period, when nests are biggest and raising new queens. Most nests die in late autumn, but some survive Auckland's mild winters and keep growing.
The wasp year, month by month
German and common wasps run on a one-year cycle. A queen wakes from hibernation in spring and builds a small nest alone. Once she has a few workers, the nest grows fast. Late summer and autumn bring males and new queens. The new queens mate and hibernate, and the old nest dies in late autumn.
| Season | What the nest is doing | What you notice |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Sep–Nov) | Queens start new nests alone | Big single wasps around eaves, sheds and banks |
| Early summer (Dec–Jan) | Workforce growing fast | Steady traffic at an entrance |
| Late summer (Feb–Mar) | Nest near its biggest | Wasps at food, bins and fruit |
| Autumn (Apr–May) | Males and new queens leave | Wasps still about, then numbers drop |
| Winter (Jun–Aug) | Most nests die. Some survive | Overwintering nests stay active |
The best time to deal with a nest
Earlier is easier. A nest found in December is smaller than the same nest in March. The University of Auckland's Professor Jacqueline Beggs suggests January and February for killing nests. Vespex bait only works from about mid-January to mid-April, when wasps want protein. How wasp nest removal works.
Giant nests that survive the winter
About 10% of German wasp nests in New Zealand survive winter, according to Landcare Research. They start spring with a full workforce and can become enormous by their second autumn. The world's largest recorded wasp nest, almost 4 metres tall, was found at Waimauku in Auckland. In January 2025 a nest about 1.6 metres tall with over 200,000 wasps was treated on a Karaka farm.
Boom years and bust years
Wasp numbers swing from year to year. The University of Auckland reported a boom in the 2024 to 2025 summer after a long, hot, dry spell. A warm, dry spell can mean more wasps by autumn. Late-summer swarms of male wasps can look alarming, but males can't sting.
Questions people ask
Do wasps die in winter in Auckland?
Most colonies do. Workers die off in late autumn and only the mated queens survive, hibernating somewhere dark and dry. But about 10% of German wasp nests in New Zealand keep going through winter, and Auckland's mild climate suits them. An active nest in winter should be treated like any other.
When is it safe to remove a wasp nest?
Treat a nest as soon as you find it, at any time of year, rather than waiting. Smaller nests early in summer are easier and less risky. Treatment is usually done late in the day when the wasps are home. In late autumn you can sometimes wait for a nest to die off, but check it really has gone quiet first.
Sources we checked
- Life cycle of a wasp (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research)
- Economic and social impacts of wasps (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research)
- Wasp numbers explode after long hot summer (2025) (University of Auckland)
- Wasps (Department of Conservation)
- Monster nest of over 200,000 wasps destroyed (Jan 2025) (Newstalk ZB)
- Vespex FAQ (Merchento)
Last reviewed 2026-10-06.