Editing Nest (section)

===Insects===
[[File:Wildbienen.jpg|thumb|[[Bee]] [[nest#Insects|nest]] in the [[Trunk (botany)|trunk]] of a [[Picea abies|spruce]]]]
[[Social insects]], including most species of [[ant]]s, [[bee]]s, [[termite]]s, and [[wasp]]s, are nest builders.  Their often elaborate nests may be found above or below ground.  Features often include ventilation systems and separate chambers for the queen, her eggs, and developing individuals.<ref name=Britannica>{{cite encyclopedia|title=nest|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/409792/nest|access-date=August 19, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930094251/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/409792/nest|archive-date=September 30, 2013}}</ref>

Bees and [[hornet]]s often seek out natural cavities in which to construct their nests, also known as hives, in which they store food and raise their young. Other species of bee and some wasps dig holes in the ground or chew through wood.<ref name=inquiry /> In the species ''[[Megachile rotundata]]'', for example, females construct tubular-shaped nests in rotting wood as well as small holes in the ground, creating, each cell made from circular disks cut from plant leaves using the bee's mandibles.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Most bees live alone: No hives, no honey, but maybe help for crops|journal = Science News|date = 2007-01-06|issn = 1943-0930|pages = 11–13|volume = 171|issue = 1|doi = 10.1002/scin.2007.5591710110|language = en|first = Susan|last = Milius}}</ref> Bee nests are founded upon the wax the secrete from their bodies, while those of wasps are dependent on their ability to turn plant water into paper using their saliva.<ref name=Hansell />  Nests often exhibit divided living, with eggs and food stores kept in distinct parts of the hive.<ref name="inquiry"/>  [[Vespid wasp]]s build complex nests from paper-like material where they lay eggs in individual cells.  When the young hatch, their parents feed them chewed up larvae.  Different species exhibit different nest structures.  [[Paper wasp]] nesting consist of a single tier of cells, while [[yellow jacket]] nests can be many layers thick, reaching up to {{convert|30|cm|ft}} in diameter.<ref name=SDNMH />  Nesting strategies can be plastic, for instance the wasp ''[[Parischnogaster mellyi]]'' will significant vary its nest construction based on environmental conditions, and the wasp ''[[Mischocyttarus mexicanus]]'' is known to nest in groups or alone depending on the distribution of potential nest sites in the area.<ref name=Hansell /><ref name="Clouse 2001">Clouse, R. (2001). “Some effects of group size on the output of beginning nests of ''Mischocyttarus mexicanus'' (Hymenoptera: Vespidae).” ''Florida Entomologist''. 84(3):418-424.</ref>  Nest sizes vary dramatically and the largest wasp nest on record measured {{convert|1.75|m|ft}} in diameter and was {{convert|3.7|m|ft}} tall.  Found in New Zealand, it was likely built by the [[German wasp]].<ref name=wasp>{{cite web|title=Largest wasp nest|work=Guinness World Records|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-10000/largest-wasp-nest/|access-date=August 20, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702031015/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-10000/largest-wasp-nest|archive-date=July 2, 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Cathedral Termite Mound - brewbooks.jpg|thumb|Termite nests can extend {{convert|5|m|ft}} or more in the air.]]
Termites build elaborate nests that span multiple generations and may last decades.<ref name=Hansell />  Using chewed wood, mud, and feces they build large mounds which may extend well into the air.<ref name=PopMech />  The largest nests, built by members of genus ''[[Amitermes]]'', stand nearly {{convert|7|m|ft}} tall with a similar circumference at the base, and host millions of individuals.<ref name=Hansell />  Termite mounds are constructed to allow for excellent air flow, regulating the mound temperature.  The mounds protect against drying and predation allowing many species to lose ancestral traits such as hard bodies, skin pigmentation, and good eyesight.  [[Magnetic termite]]s construct their nests with flattened sides along the north–south axis to ensure maximum warming during the winter, while exposing minimal surface area to the harshest mid-day sunshine.<ref name=Hansell>{{cite book|title=Bird Nests and Construction Behaviour|url=https://archive.org/details/birdnestsconstru0000hans|url-access=registration|author=Mike Hansell|year=2000|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0521460385}}</ref>  Other termite species use their nests to farm fungi.<ref name=PopMech />

Ant nests feature an elaborate colony structure that may extend {{convert|2|m|ft}} or more underground.  As the structure gets further underground, individual chambers become farther and farther apart indicating that the ant is aware of its depth.  It is hypothesized that they accomplish this by sensing the level of [[carbon dioxide]] in the soil.<ref name=PopMech>{{cite web|title=8 Amazing Architects of the Animal Kingdom|author=Mary Beth Griggs|work=Popular Mechanics|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/8-amazing-architects-of-the-animal-kingdom|access-date=August 22, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813043232/http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/8-amazing-architects-of-the-animal-kingdom|archive-date=August 13, 2013|date=2011-05-26}}</ref>  The [[leaf cutter ant]] builds a complex nest which can house 8 million individuals.  Its nests feature numerous chambers, most notably garden chambers where they farm fungus on leaves they harvest from the forest.<ref name=Hansell />

Species such as the [[carpenter ant]] and the wasp ''[[Polistes exclamans]]'' build "satellite nests" - smaller nests near, but separate from, the main nest.<ref name=Strassman /><ref>{{cite web|title=Carpenter ants|year=2008|author=Jeff Hahn|author2=Colleen Cannon|author3=Mark Ascerno|publisher=University of Minnesota|url=http://www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/carpenter-ants/|access-date=August 20, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910120951/http://www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/carpenter-ants/|archive-date=September 10, 2013}}</ref> These satellite nests are used as an insurance against predators and [[parasites]]; if the original nest is attacked, surviving members can move the satellite nest.<ref name=Strassman>{{Cite journal|author=Joan E. Strassman|year=1981|title=Evolutionary implications of early male and satellite nest production in ''Polistes exclamans'' colony cycles|journal=[[Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology]]|volume=8|issue=1|pages=55–64|doi=10.1007/BF00302844|s2cid=40390603}}</ref> Other species such as the Black hover wasp, ''[[Parischnogaster alternata]],'' construct nests in clusters with the central core composed of older colonies surrounded by younger colonies.<ref>Landi, M., C. Coster-Longman, and S. Turillazzi. "Are the Selfish Herd and the Dilution Effects Important in Promoting Nest Clustering in the Hover Wasp (Stenogastrinae Vespidae Hymenoptera)?" Ethology Ecology & Evolution 14.4 (2002): 297-305. Web.</ref>

The Eastern carpenter bee, ''[[Eastern carpenter bee|Xylocopa virginica]],'' is unique in that individuals of that species build their nests in wood, bamboo culms, agave stalks, and other similar materials, although their preferred nesting material is pine or cedar lumber.  When digging the nests, they use the wood shavings scraped from the wall to create partitions within the tunnels.  The nests are usually round and have about 1-4 tunnels, each with multiple branches.  Because these materials are often useful for humans in construction, ''X. virgininica's'' nesting behavior presents the disadvantage of weakening wood in manmade structures.<ref>Balduf, W. V. (1962-05-01). "Life of the Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa virginica (Linn.) (Xylocopidae, Hymenoptera)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America 55 (3): 263–271. doi:10.1093/aesa/55.3.263. ISSN 0013-8746.</ref>