- Hornets appear in the season of spring and establish their nests in sheltered hollow trees.
- The queen then establishes a nest of up to 50 chewed cells, whereby she lays an egg in each.
- After a week workers are formed.
- Over the next couple of months the nest expands, inclusive of the hornet population.
- At peak population the colony growth can surpass 700 workers.
- Workers support the growth of the nest and raise the reproductive queens offspring.
- Adult drones do not support in nest maintenance, foraging or care taking of the larvae.
- Throughout the season of autumn, drones leave the colony to mate and die off after this period.
- Towards the end of autumn, workers die off and only fertilised queens survive through winter.
- Life spans vary vastly, depending on requirements within the colony.