"V. mandarinia" nests in low mountain foothills and lowland forests. As a particularly dominant species, no efforts are directed toward conserving "V. mandarinia" or its habitats, as they are common in areas of low human disturbance. Unlike other species of "Vespa", "V. mandarinia" almost exclusively inhabits subterranean nests. In a study of 31 nests, 25 were found around rotten pine roots, and another study found only 9 of 56 nests above ground. Additionally, rodents, snakes, or other burrowing animals previously made some of the tunnels. The depth of these nests was between . The entrance at the ground surface varies in length from either horizontally, inclined, or vertically. The queens that found the nest prefer narrow cavities.