Reproduction

The Queen first starts her own nest in the spring, and lays eggs to become workers that are all female. Near the end of summer the Queen will lay more eggs that form into adult male and female hornets. They will then mate and these new females will overwinter, keeping warm by burrowing into trees or logs (Moran.2012).
They will then start their own nest in the spring, becoming the Queen of a new colony. All of the remaining hornets from the previous Fall die off. An egg is laid in each cell of the new nest and is fed nectar and/or chewed up insects by the Queen in the Spring. When the larvae grow big enough they pupate and emerge as adult hornets (Moran.2012).