What Do Wasps Eat?: Other FAQs About Wasps
What Do Wasps Eat?
in this article, we will be discussing on “what do wasps eat” and some other frequently asked questions about wasps, but let’s look at what a wasp is first and some of its features.
Wasps are flying insects that look a bit like bees, though they are slimmer and have a pointy waist. They are part of the order Hymenoptera. They can be social or stay alone and the social ones have drones, queens and workers in their group.
Furthermore, they make their nest from a paper-like material, which they chew and mix with their saliva. And these nests can be found in trees, buildings or underground.
Wasps can be useful in some ways, which are;
- They eat other bugs that might harm us.
- They also help plants in some way, by carrying pollen while they are searching for nectar, and this helps flowers grow.
- They help to keep insect populations in check. So by hunting insects, they help to protect crops and gardens.
What Wasps Eats:
So speaking of “what do wasps eat?” wasps are omnivorous in nature, and they are skilled hunters, thus feeding on various insects, flies, caterpillars and spiders.
Also, some have a taste for sugary foods; hence, they sip the nectar of flowers. And some species also crave food, like human food leftovers.
Sometimes, people mistake wasps for bees, so let’s look at the difference between both of them.
Difference Between Wasps and Bee
Wasps and Bees are confusing most of the time, as they both belong to the order Hymenoptera, have four wings, and are both social insects. Also, they have a long and noticeable antenna on their heads. But there are still some differences between them, which are:
- Bees are herbivorous; though not entirely herbivorous cause they feed on pollen and nectars from flowers, while wasps are omnivorous.
- Wasps have a triangular face, while bees faces are somewhere between round and triangle.
- Bees are also often fuzzy, while wasps usually look smooth and shiny.
- In some species of wasps, the female has a long ovipositor, which is a tube at the end of the abdomen that is used for laying eggs. Although bees have it, but it usually isn’t visible.
- Also, wasps have a “wasp waist”, while bees don’t have a waist.
FAQs About Wasps:
How Long Do Wasps Live?
The lifespan of wasps varies depending on their role in the colony.
The queen wasps tends to live longer. It can survive for several months or a year. The queens are important for the colony’s survival since they lay eggs and thus contribute to the continuation of the wasp generation.
So when winter comes, most of the male and worker wasps dies, but the queen looks for a safe place to stay and hibernates until the next spring, thus starting a new life cycle.
The worker wasps, which are the ones that mostly buzz around, since their job is to gather food, protect the nest and take care of it, they lives for a few weeks or a couple of months.
The male wasps, also known as the drones, live for a few weeks, and their main role is to mate with a queen during the reproductive phase.
How To Keep Wasps Away
You can keep wasps away with these steps below;
- You can use a wasp repellent or peppermint, cinnamon and citronella around your surroundings, as these scents helps to discourage wasps.
- Try to seal any cracks in your windows, walls and doors. Because wasps might build their nests in those spaces.
- Also avoid a sweet-smelling perfume when you are outdoors, maybe during a picnic, as this may attract wasps.
- And, cover your food properly when eating outside, maybe during a picnic too, to avoid attracting them.
- If you plant a fruit tree, you should always harvest the ripe ones always, as overripe fruits can also attract them.
What Eat Wasps?
Many animals prey on wasps, and the most common are birds. Birds most often raid nests in search of protein-rich snacks and thus feeds on wasps in that process, sometimes they might catch wasps in flight.
Some mammals, such as bears and raccoons, also raid the wasp nest to feed on the larvae and pupae inside. And also, amphibians like frogs feed on wasps when they come across them.
In addition, certain insects, such as dragonflies and praying mantises, also prey on wasps. And some spiders, especially orb-weaving spiders, also prey on wasps, and they do this by building their webs near wasp areas, and they capture them as they fly into their web.
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