Wonderful Wasps

Wasps are in the same order (Hymenoptera) as bees and ants. One of the most common species of wasp in the UK, and probably the one most people think of upon hearing the word ‘wasp’, is the Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris). But did you know that there are 9,000 species of wasp in the UK?  They come in all shapes, sizes and colours.

Of the 9,000 species, around 2,500 species of wasp are considered pollinators. In fact, many wasps are specialist pollinators, which means they will visit one or a small number of flower species for nectar.  While wasps drink nectar from flowers, they don’t produce honey. A classic example of wasp specialism is the relationship between fig trees and fig wasps.  Tiny fig wasps, at just a few millimetres long, are responsible for pollinating over 750 species of fig trees.  Each species is typically associated with a single species of fig tree.

Wasps can be grouped into social wasps and solitary wasps. Only nine species of social wasp (family Vespidae) are found in the UK, and like bees they form societies to rear their young with a queen, workers and drones. Alongside the Common Wasp, social wasps also include the European Hornet (Vespa crabro) and Median Wasp (Dolichovespula media). Despite being a small group, each summer social wasps in the UK capture an estimated 14 million kilogrammes of insect prey, playing a significant role in pest control!

Most wasp species are solitary, meaning they live independently of one another. Many solitary wasps are predatory insects, including the parasitic family Ichneumon. Ichneumons, like the Sabre Wasp (Rhyssa persuasoria), lay their eggs in, or near a living insect host, like the Horntail Wasp (Uroceris gigas). When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae (young) will feed on the host while they are alive until they have fed enough to pupate and reach adulthood. While this sounds rather gruesome, the function of parasitic wasps is important in maintaining balance of other insect species.

Why are wasps important?

Wasps carry out many valuable roles in our habitats, including:

• helping with insect control by eating flies, aphids, caterpillars and other invertebrates.
• being important pollinators.
• providing homes for some of our most beautiful pollinating hoverflies. Wasps create amazing hexagonal paper structures made from chewed up wood.

Despite all of this, they are often categorised as a dangerous nuisance. It’s true that some wasps can sting however, this is a defence mechanism and in most cases wasp stings occur because they have been disturbed. Wasps can be attracted to sugary foods, particularly if the supply of nectar is low in the surrounding area. They have very high energy needs; it takes a lot to carry out all the valuable roles they undertake in the ecosystem!

How can I help wasps?

Wasps, like all bugs, need food, water and shelter. One of the best ways to help wasps, is to garden with pollinators in mind by providing plenty of nectar sources and habitat areas. You can also support Buglife’s B-Lines by adding your pollinator friendly habitat to the B-Lines map.

Buglife is working to create friendlier relationships between people and invertebrates, but this work often starts with a conversation. Why not help to improve wasp’s social image by talking to your friends and family about the roles wasps play and why it’s important that we keep them around.

Another way you can help wasps is by logging your wasp sightings on BWARS or on the iRecord app. By joining a recording scheme and submitting your sightings, you can help build a picture of wasp populations across the UK. With this information, charities like Buglife can target conservation efforts.