Summer
Pests Part 1 – Facing the Wrath of Wasps
The wasp, feared
in case it should release its venom-containing sting. They always seem
aggressive, always seem to be looking for someone or something to sting. They
vibrating buzz gives them a reputation for being a formidable insect.
And this is
certainly the case when you discover a nest of hundreds, possibly thousands of
wasps within close range of your home. Playing in the garden becomes less
pleasurable or the time you had put aside to relax in your garden thwarted, as
you use the latest best-selling paperback to swat these buzzing creatures away.
But, are wasps
really all that bad…?
The
Low Down on Wasps
There are over
30,000 identified species of wasp but thankfully, very few are found in the UK.
The bad news is that even those the majority of wasps are solitary and
non-stinging varieties, we do have stinging varieties in the UK.
We are used to
wasps being yellow and black striped, nature’s warning to avoid them - humans
as well as other insects and animals.
In fact, wasps
come in all colours, including yellow and brown, metallic blue, and bright red.
The rule is simple – the more brightly coloured, the more likely they are to
have a sting in their tail.
All wasps,
irrespective of their species, build nests, secrete a waxy substance that is
the main building material. They also chew wood to create the pulp substances
used to create their familiar, papery abodes.
The 30,000+
species can be divided into two sub-groups: social and solitary.
Solitary
Wasps
The largest
sub-group as the name suggests, these species of wasps do not form colonies.
They include some of the largest wasp species too, such as the formidable
cicada killer. If they have a sting, it is to catch and kill their pray unlike
social wasps that use their sting as a form of defence.
We do have
solitary wasps in the UK, complete with yellow and black striped bodies and a
sting in their tail. On the whole, they are rarely a nuisance, avoiding contact
with humans and other animals as far as possible.
Social
Wasps
These wasps
build colonies and include the wasps that we know here in the UK, the hornets
and the yellow jackets for example.
Social wasp
nests start from scratch each year, with the mated female fertilised the
previous summer and then hibernating in a sheltered spot over the winter. In
the warmth of spring, she emerges, builds a small nest and rears a small brood
of female workers.
These workers
then take over the building of the nest whilst the queen lays more and more
eggs. By later summer, a colony can reach 5,000 wasps all of whom, along with
the queen die off in winter. Only fertilised females will survive to start the
complete process again.
Do
We Need Wasps?
It is often said
that wasps have no use to humans and yet, their huge species group should tell
us different.
Wasps prey on
other insects, and have become adept at preying on those insects that eat or
damage food crops. Although it is tempting to swot a wasp when they come into
the house, maybe we should consider that in the bigger picture, they do perform
some good deeds.
That said, you don’t
have to share your home, outbuildings or garden with a colony of thousands of
wasps. They certainly don’t feel a social creature when they sting you to
defend their territory.
The safest and
best course of action is to give us a call…
