White grubs are found inside cells in the nests. These are fed daily on juices of insects and sweets. They last from 9 days to 22 days. A colony could produce as many as 10,000 grubs. This stage lasts about a week.
Adults are bee-like insects with yellow or black striped abdomens.
The workers build cells, look for food, nurse the larvae and protect the colony. These females store the sperm to fertilize next years eggs. These are the queens that overwinter in protected holes and crevices. The workers and males die off before winter. Empty nests will not be revisited the following year.