growing & crawling: paper wasps

Growing & Crawling

paper wasps

Okay, I know you hate wasps but hear me out. Due to their tendency to defend themselves they get a super bad wrap but they are actually beneficial to the ecosystem and to gardens. Take for example the paper wasp.

Paper wasps are social creatures and will vigorously defend their nests. They are most likely to sting when their nest is disturbed. They aren 't aggressive when they ' re away from their nest. They also aren't likely to sting unless you step on them, trap them, or press them against your skin.

Paper wasps are vespid wasps that gather fibers from dead wood and plant stems, which they mix with saliva, and use to construct nests made of gray or brown papery material. Though there are hundreds of types of paper wasps, there are only 22 types found in America.

Remember, paper wasps are actually beneficial insects because they prey on other insects that we consider pests such as caterpillars, beetle larvae, and flies. In addition to their diet of pests, they also eat sweet fruits and flower nectar which makes them great pollinators.

Much like bees, female paper wasps are the hunters, providers, workers and nannies whereas the male just chills until it's time to mate. The worker wasps (usually sterile females) only live about 34 months whereas the "queen wasp" can live between 10-12 months, being the only one that survives winter.

By janet douberly

Janet Douberly is an employee with a tendency to defend herself at Downtown Greens.