Why Do Wasps Need Flowers?
WouterWhether you want to attract wasps or avoid them, it’s important to know the reasons why they visit flowers. Wasps visit flowers for two reasons: to collect nectar, and to feed their young.
Unlike bees, wasps don’t carry pollen, and they don’t have fuzzy hairs to help them locate flower nectar. They need the sugar and water that flowers offer to survive. They also eat many types of insects. They are particularly interested in the protein found in pollen.
Some wasp species are good pollinators, and they can passively transfer pollen while feeding. Other wasps are predators, collecting nectar for themselves and their young. And some wasps are parasitic, laying eggs on their hosts.
Most wasps visit flowers in search of nectar. They also eat honeydew, the juice produced by insect herbivores. And wasps also feed on ants, caterpillars, spiders, and beetles. These are all sources of protein. Some wasps also eat fruit. And some wasps are able to store pollen in their crop.
Several kinds of wasps are beneficial to gardens. These include social wasps, which capture caterpillars and greenfly. They also lay eggs on insect larvae, which the adult wasps then feed to the young. They are particularly helpful in pollinating orchids.
In addition to their pollination function, some wasp species are also able to carry yeast for winemaking grapes. Some wasps can pierce the base of flowers to obtain nectar.
Wasps are very intelligent and cooperative insects. They learn quickly and are good navigators. They also tend to be territorial. They are especially active during the day.
