What is the primary focus of the queen wasp in the spring?
Answer
Gathering simple sugars to build initial energy reserves for egg laying
The seasonal behavior of the wasp colony is dictated by nutritional requirements starting with the queen in the early part of the year. In the spring, before the first worker wasps have hatched and taken over foraging duties, the queen must single-handedly sustain herself and initiate egg production. Her immediate focus is not on large-scale protein hunting but rather on securing readily available carbohydrates. She gathers simple sugars, which provide the necessary metabolic energy required to build up her personal energy reserves sufficiently so that she can begin the crucial biological process of laying eggs to establish the first generation of the colony.

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