What Are Wasps Good For Anyways?

Despite being considered a pest, wasps are actually beneficial insects that are helpful to the environment. Some species even pollinate flowers. In fact, there are more than 30,000 species of wasps.

Wasps can be useful for controlling pest insects. During the spring and summer, they will often be found pollinating flowers and collecting pollen. But they also hunt for food and will sometimes sting you. While they aren’t very aggressive, they can be painful. Wasps are also surprisingly nutritious, with a high protein content.

Some species of wasps produce honey. However, the consistency of wasp liquid isn’t very similar to honey. Some people reject the idea of wasps producing honey. However, there are many benefits to promoting entomophagy. It helps conserve food resources while reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

Wasps can also be used to clean up decomposing fruit. They are also excellent pollinators for orchids.

A wasp’s life cycle is fascinating. It is similar to that of a bee. The queen is dormant in the winter, but lays eggs during the spring and summer. The worker wasps then take over the care of the colony. They communicate in intricate ways to gather food and raise their daughter workers.

Some wasps are parasitic, feeding on their hosts. These parasitic wasps help farmers control crop pests. In some cases, they even provide homes for beneficial insects. These parasitic wasps are often mass produced by factories for farming purposes.

Some wasps are invasive species, and are now found in places like South Africa, New Zealand and Latin America. They can also be found in soda cans.