How Do Wasps Live Alone?
WouterDuring their lifetime, some wasps live alone while others are social. These gruesome creatures are predators, but they are also important in ecosystems. They provide pest control services and regulate the numbers of other insects. Solitary wasps are also useful for pollinating plants.
There are around 70,000 species of wasps. The majority are solitary. They build nests and provide food for their larvae. A small number live in colonies. They can build large nests that house several queens and males. This type of nest can be built in the ground or underground. A female wasp lays eggs in the nest.
These wasps have a long ovipositor, a tubular organ that delivers the eggs to their host. A wasp can also carry a symbiotic virus that suppresses the immune system of the host’s plant. This allows the caterpillar to grow into a fat meal for the wasp larva.
A wasp colony can die during low temperatures, when the food is not enough for the wasps. If you need to remove a wasp nest from a tree or wall, use a plastic garbage bag. If you are unable to remove the nest from the tree or wall, fill the hole with soil. This will keep the nest from returning.
Some solitary wasps also live in colonies. These wasps are often called drones. They mate with special females to form a hive. The female worker wasps take care of the younglings. The larvae are fed in the same cells as the wasps.
