Which of the following describes the nesting behavior of paper wasps?

The nesting behavior of paper wasps is accurately described by stating that there is only one queen per colony and that nests are typically abandoned in the fall. Paper wasps are known for their unique social structure, which primarily revolves around a single queen. This queen is responsible for laying all the eggs within the colony, while the worker wasps, which are female offspring, assist in maintaining the nest and caring for the young.

As the seasons change, particularly as temperatures drop in the fall, the lifecycle of paper wasps leads to the abandonment of nests. The queen and workers will not survive the winter; thus, the established nests are left unoccupied once the cold weather sets in. However, new queens, fertilized earlier in the season, will find shelter and hibernate until spring, when they will establish new nests.

This understanding of their social structure and seasonal behavior helps differentiate paper wasps from other social insects, such as bees, which may exhibit different queen dynamics and nest retention behaviors during colder months.