We all know the environmental importance of the bee population and most of us now think of the cute, fuzzy little things with some degree of affection, not least for the delicious honey that the honey bee produces. However, when my partner’s admission that he’d been stung ‘on about 15 different occasions’ (no he's not a bee keeper, just very unlucky it seems) started a family debate about wasps, I began wondering why they have such bad press so decided to do a bit of research and share some wasp positivity with you.
I’ve learnt that there are approximately 9,000 different species of wasp in UK. The most common that we see are the stripy yellow-jackets (Vespula Vulgaris and Vulgaris Germanica) but the majority of wasps are much smaller insects that we might easily mistake for flies.
There’s a perception that wasps look a bit mean but if you stop to look at one closely, they’re actually just as cute as bees but with a much less fuzzy coat. Here are some wasp facts that explain the good things they offer and may make you brave enough to do just that and start to appreciate then for the little environmental heroes they are.
1. Wasps Are Important Pollinators
Adult wasps have a sugar-based diet and while enjoying nectar they move from flower to flower, transferring pollen from one to the next as they go. Unlike bees, who have strong preferences for particular plants, wasps are not terribly fussy so perform a very important pollinating function in areas where the plant population is not diverse or may be under stress.
2. Wasps Build Hard Working Communities
A queen emerges from hibernation in the spring along with only a few workers who have survived the cold winter. She sets about building a nest often in a tree or an undisturbed space within a building. When the nest is fully complete she lays an egg in each of the cells. New worker wasps hatch from these eggs after about 30 days and takeover the day-to-day housekeeping duties. Later, larvae hatch from the newest eggs and need protein to grow. The adult workers bring insects back to the nest to feed to the hungry larvae, which in return offer a sugary reward to the workers to keep their strength up for foraging. It’s only when the last of the larvae have grown and left the nest that the adults really start bothering us - but more of that later.
3. Wasps Are Very Sociable
Wasps live in colonies of all sizes, some of up to 6,000-10,000 and have similarities with human communities, collaborating and communicating to keep life running smoothly. They have the wasp equivalents of specialist work forces, peace- keepers, child minders, leadership contests and even anti-social behaviour.
4. Wasps Are Designers and Architects
The female wasps chomp on soft, waste wood to develop and elaborate on the intricate nest from the original and much smaller creation that the queen started in the spring.
5. Wasps Are Natural Pest Controllers
Wasps are predators sitting towards the top of the food chain. Although adult wasps have a sugar-based diet and survive mostly on nectar, they need protein to feed their young. They collect small insects such as aphids, caterpillars, woodlice and spiders, keeping garden pests under control naturally and commercially can be very important to food crop health, production and protection. When feeding their young, they may also increase their protein intake by helping dispose of dead creatures such as birds and small mammals, which can help, reduce the risk of decay and disease.
6. Wasps Help Humans
Recently, scientists have found that an active compound found in some wasp venom helps to destroy cancer cells and research is ongoing to see if this has the potential to save lives. Additionally, wasp larvae are becoming a more sustainable alternative to meat and are now the most common edible insects on sale in rural China. This is also being explored in Japan given that 2 billion people in 80% of the world’s countries feast on insect protein every day.
7. Wasps Don’t Want To Sting Us
Wasps use their sting to defend themselves and their nest and only do this when they perceive a threat. Wasps sometimes see us as a possible threat, even if we don't really pose one. This is most likely to happen towards the end of the summer/early autumn when there are no larvae left in the nest to feed and so no sugary rewards on offer and they have to search more widely for food. Unfortunately, their hunger for sugar and desire to continue life comes at a time when we have sunny days and spend time eating and drinking outside.
8. We Can Help Wasps To Thrive (and avoid being stung)
Wasps are just as valuable to the eco-system as other insects like bees. Sadly, many wasp populations are declining, as bees have been, due to things such as chemical use, habitat loss and climate change. We can help by reducing pesticide use that can harm our pollinators, developing and preserving their habitats and of course, not killing them.
When you’re eating or drinking outside, don’t dress like a flower (or smell like one), the wasps will be instantly attracted to bright colours and sweet scents so their attention can be easily avoided. It can help to set up some small bowls of sweet food, such as fruit well away from your seating area in advance of a meal or picnic as these attract any passing wasps and act as a decoy. The wasps would much rather snack quietly in a corner than have to fight with humans for a crumb or two. Also, a few drops of peppermint oil mixed with a little water in a misting spray can help deter them as they don’t like the scent at all.
I hope that you’ve found this interesting and perhaps next time a wasp passes by, you might just give it as much respect and gratitude as its beloved bee cousin, even if you don't invite it to your picnic.
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