How Live Caterpillars Are Used in a Wasp Nest

But her job has only just begun. She must also fill the pot with food... so her offspring can develop and emerge in the spring. That will require her to collect enough caterpillars while the weather holds. When she finds one, she paralyzes it with her sting... and then puts it into the pot, alive. But British weather is unreliable. She can't fly when it's cold and wet. Time is slipping by. The sun returns, but now time is very short. With the season on the turn, she's not the only one in a hurry. The caterpillars are getting restless. They're making their way down to the ground to find somewhere to spend the winter. She herself is almost out of time. Just one more. But maybe one that is a little smaller. With her pot now fully provisioned, she seals it... just in time.