Wasps are social insects, which live in large colonies. The wasp queen overwinters in a warm and sheltered place. In spring, the queen starts building a new nest.
The first offspring are workers. They build a paper nest made by wood fibers mixed with saliva. The nest constantly grows and, at the end of summer, reaches the size of a football. The nests are made in secluded places, commonly hollow trees, rock crevices, wall cavities, mammal-made holes or in human structures such as garages or sheds.
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The image was taken on our balcony. A few spoonfuls of diluted cranberry syrup in a porcelain saucer was the lure for my photo models. The sweet drink kept them busy, while I calmly took several shots.