Why Wasps Are Useless
WouterDespite their reputation as being useless, there is a surprising amount of research showing that wasps have a valuable role to play in the environment. They are excellent predators of pest insects and play a significant role in crop pollination.
Wasps feed on insects, plants and fruit. They are also good pollinators of flowers, and they play a vital role in keeping vegetable gardens free of pest insects.
There are over 30,000 species of wasps. They are divided into four main groups: hunting wasps, solitary wasps, parasitic wasps, and social wasps. Each is classified according to its preference for food. Hunting wasps hunt for food by catching insects and feeding the larvae. Social wasps live in colonies with several hundred individuals. They live in large nests of chewed wood mixed with saliva. They feed on flies, mosquitoes, and other insects.
There are four different species of parasitic wasps. They lay eggs in other insects. The larvae then slowly consume the host insect.
Solitary wasps are not very successful in non-native areas. The reason is that their life histories are not well understood. They tend to focus on a particular genus or order.
Social wasp colonies are small early in the season, but they grow rapidly throughout the summer. When the weather gets cold, fertilized females scatter to find a safe place to hide. The adult wasps then hunt for food and feed the growing offspring. The social wasps are usually males, but a few fertile females may also live in the colony.
