Some Positive PR for the Wasps

Most of us will admit to tolerating honeybees. This may have to do with the fact that most of us know that honeybees produce honey. Also, honeybees are not all that prevalent in our personal space and tend to be found out in the meadow, possibly in a hollow log or fighting off a bear on the end of a balloon. One can wax nostalgic over honeybees.

While on vacation last summer we were invited to sign a petition on behalf of honey bees. Hive failure is a problem big enough to make it into international media on a semi-regular basis. Note that in the last 6 months or so someone has actually published the belief, and some proof, that hive failure is related to pesticide use. This may bode well for the honeybee. It seems someone, somewhere, is facing the facts instead of maundering on about some hypothetical suber-bee-flu.

Wasps, though, ahhhh, wasps. Take an informal poll and find out A) how many people actually like wasps and B) how many have never asked the question, Would we not be better off WITHOUT wasps?

You have to figure that wasps, along with skunks, rate high on the list of animals no one wants to deal with, ever. In fact, if you google wasps ontario your first page will be filled with wasp extermination offers including, I might add, some nice descriptions of wasps. Futher investigation will bear out the notion that, really, what one wants to know, when googling the word wasp, is how to get rid of them. Even the skunks get better PR.

So, what good are wasps?

Well, figure that about 80% of multi-cellular life on Earth is of the insect variety. 800,000 species in fact. Of this 120,000 count as wasps and bees. Of that number, about 15,000 sting. Of that, about 3 are the ones we're noticing: the yellow-jacket, the paper wasp and the hornet and of THOSE what we're really complaining about the yellow-jacket.

Meanwhile, the other 14,999, call it 14,996 to be safe, species of stinging wasp or bee are either out there making honey as best they can given the pesticides or pollinating or feeding on the larvae of other insects or, in some cases, on adult other insects. Ahah! This is what the wasps do. They kill pests without the need for pesticides. In fact, some farmers out there actually encourage wasps as a means of crop pest control. Which means that wiping out the wasps would not be the brightest idea mankind ever had and likely be detrimental to a secure source of honey in the future.

Now the yellow-jacket on the other hand, would appear to have evolved, or developed, a keen sense of where the living is easy. Sure, it could go out there and prey on larvae and insects but it seems to have occurred to the species that snitching bits of hamburger, hot dog and ham works just as well. Try leaving some ham out in late August and watch what happens. The wasp will snip off a tidy little piece with her mandibles and fly away happy. She'd prefer not to fly far which is why you'll find yellow-jackets building nests under your deck.

This will give you a chance to look like an urban hero and also deploy a skill set not unlike those used by elite warriors in an effort not to get stung. Arguably, even the yellow-jacket has its uses.


http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/species/insects/hemipterahymenoptera.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/vespids/intro.html

http://www.pollinator.ca/canpolin/beesandwasps.html

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/wasp/

http://removeandreplace.com/2013/05/07/how-to-easily-make-a-beehive-in-a-jar-backyard-project-diy/