Are Wasps Bad For Plants?

Having wasps in your garden may be good for the plants. Wasps eat insects such as aphids and caterpillars. They also eat spiders and ants. Most wasps are beneficial to the plants they visit.

There are hundreds of species of wasps. There are social wasps that live in colonies, and solitary wasps that live on their own. Some species are parasitoid wasps, meaning that they inject eggs into immobilized victims. Others are predatory wasps, meaning that they hunt other insects. Some species are beneficial because they kill insects that can harm plants, like ants and spiders.

Wasps are important for your garden because they pollinate flowers. Many plants, such as goldenrod and strawflowers, are attractive to foraging wasps. In addition, they can eat aphids, spiders, beetles and other insects that can damage plants. However, if you’re allergic to bee stings, you should avoid planting strawflowers or other plants that were bred to attract wasps.

Some wasps, such as yellow jackets, are pests. They build ground nests and may sting you when you’re outside. They also nest in trees, shrubs, and eaves. You can prevent them from nesting in your garden by removing them from the area.

Some wasps, such as the Japanese wasp, don’t sting people. If you’re allergic to bee stings, don’t plant strawflowers or other plants that wasps like to forage. You can also try treating your plants with pesticides to discourage wasps.

Yellow jackets are aggressive ground nesting wasps. They can sting you if you’re outside during the day.