▁allowing ▁it ▁to ▁over take ▁and ▁mon opol ize ▁available ▁nest ▁spaces . ▁The ▁be e ▁n ests ▁under ground , ▁primarily ▁in ▁col ony ▁sizes ▁of ▁about ▁ 2 0 0 - 3 0 0 ▁workers . ▁While ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁currently ▁in ▁population ▁decl ine , ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁the ▁B . ▁v os nes ens ki i ▁experiences ▁reduced ▁nest ing ▁density ▁in ▁urban ized ▁land sc apes . ▁ ▁Urban ▁nest ing ▁density ▁ ▁Studies ▁have ▁demonstrated ▁that ▁p aved ▁environments ▁in ▁human ▁urban ▁settings ▁have ▁reduced ▁B . ▁v os nes ens ki i ▁nest ing ▁dens ities . ▁It ▁is ▁likely ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁sub ter rane an ▁nest ing ▁hab its ▁of ▁this ▁be e ▁species , ▁which ▁is ▁neg atively ▁effect ed ▁by ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁imper vious ▁subst ances ▁like ▁pav ement . ▁ ▁Be havior ▁ ▁Col ony ▁cycle ▁ ▁The ▁over w inter ing ▁queen ▁first ▁appears ▁during ▁spring ▁and ▁establish es ▁under ground ▁colon ies . ▁She ▁will ▁then ▁find ▁an ▁under ground ▁nest , ▁typically ▁some ▁sort ▁of ▁rod ent ▁bur row ▁or ▁some ▁other ▁naturally ▁available ▁hole ▁in ▁wood ▁or ▁d irt . ▁Upon ▁discover ing ▁a ▁nest able ▁area , ▁the ▁queen ▁will ▁lay ▁an ▁egg ▁bro od ▁and ▁begin ▁inc ub ation . ▁The ▁fuel ▁for ▁their ▁therm or eg ulation ▁during ▁inc ub ation ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁ne ct ar , ▁pol len , ▁and ▁h oney ▁between ▁for aging ▁tri ps