Wasps

The unsung hero of our gardens

DID YOU KNOW One in seven Gardeners’ World Magazine readers can’t identify a common wasp, with nearly 10 per cent of you mistaking them for honey bees*. Interesting when wasps have such a bad reputation, and particularly as they’re one of the best pest controllers in the garden. Living in large social groups, the sterile female workers gather caterpillars, aphids and other pests to feed their siblings. Nests are annual – only daughter queens hibernate, before setting up a new colony the following year. Large, with an obvious ‘waist’ between the thorax and abdomen, this distinctive insect has bright yellow and black bands along the body, two pairs of wings and long, robust antennae. On its face is a black mark in the shape of an anchor. The wasp’s sting is located at the tip of its abdomen. The nest is made using chewed wood mixed with saliva. The queen and workers scrape off small pieces of wood with their powerful jaws, making a sound that is audible to the human ear.

DIET In spring, the queen emerges from hibernation and feeds on insects and nectar, before starting a nest and laying eggs. The workers gather caterpillars, aphids and other pests to feed the grubs in the nest. In return, the grubs secrete a sugary solution, which the worker wasps eat. In late summer, the queen stops laying eggs, so there are fewer grubs to give worker wasps their sugary reward, forcing them to turn to fruit and sweet treats such as fizzy drinks and jam sandwiches.

LIFECYCLE The mated queen emerges from hibernation in spring and founds a new colony. She lays a few eggs, which hatch to become the first workers. The workers take over collecting food and building the nest, while the queen focuses on laying. In summer, new daughter queens mate with males from other nests, and enter hibernation. The existing queen stops laying and by autumn the original nest, workers, males and queen die. Only the mated daughter queens hibernate, to start the cycle again in spring.

HABITAT Urban, suburban and rural areas, including gardens and parks, woodland and arable land.

AT RISK? No, wasps are common and widespread.