Wasps are very common insects; they can be found in almost every corner of the planet, with the exception of Antarctica and the Far North. Their way of life is no less curious than that of the closest relatives of bees. They skillfully build their summer homes and take care of the safety of the population. The diet of “bright minke whales” is of great interest. What wasps feed on depends on their form of development, stage, and age. Insects can live either alone or in large friendly families, in which each performs its own functions.
Feeding features of the house wasp
Wasps can be described as almost omnivorous creatures, and this is the main difference between them and bees. However, there are many nuances in their way of eating and diet. The larvae can feed exclusively on animal food - other insects. It follows that the younger generation can be of great benefit to gardeners by helping to destroy crop pests. The diet of wasps includes:
- Insects and their larvae;
- Meat;
- Fish;
- Fruits;
- Nectar of flowers;
- Syrup.
The food preferences of wasps vary greatly depending on their stage of development. The scientific explanation for this fact is to exclude competition for a food source between individuals of the same species at different life stages.
How do they look
Mimarids look like wasps, only tiny ones. Features include very long antennae and unusual wings, which can vary greatly in shape and structure among different species. Most of all the differences can be in the front pair: these wings can be long or short, widened at the end or narrow, concave or convex, often even fringed. Another common sign is the curvature of the wings, which prevents them from being blown away by a strong wind. As for the smallest members of the family, the diversity here is impressive. For example, males of Dicomorpha echempterygis
They lack eyes and wings, their mouthparts look like a simple hole, and instead of antennae there are only tiny tubercles on their heads.
What do adults eat?
The diet of wasps is quite varied. Insects prefer fruit and berry juices and fruit pulp. Among their favorite fruits are raspberries, plums, apricots, strawberries, and grapes. Wasps try to avoid harder fruits whenever possible. Adults are very attracted to overripe fruits that have begun to ferment. Syrup, honey, jam and sugar are among the favorite products of winged sweet tooths. Wet sugar or fresh jam will inevitably attract many wasps into your apartment.
Some representatives of aspens at certain stages of their life cycle give preference to the young of various beetles, as well as some species of wasps. These predators are capable of exterminating even larger insects and can successfully hunt spiders of impressive size.
While feeding their larvae, adults hunt other insects and feed them chewed to their offspring. In the process of chewing the prey, the predator also consumes some of its hemolymph. Hemolymph is rich in protein and replenishes the energy reserves of the imago. Directly in the process of feeding and transferring food to the larva, the adult insect receives some of the saliva of the offspring, from where it takes the necessary substances for normal life. However, despite this, plant foods and sweets are preferable for imagoes. A danger to people is represented by wasps that appear out of nowhere in the apartment, flying to the aroma of food.
Chemical substances
Mechanical means are inferior to chemical ones in terms of efficiency. Due to the wide range of choices on the product market, there are many substances that are harmless to animals/people. Chemistry is more reliable in the fight against wasps, long-lasting, and does not require constant intervention in the process of operation of the substance.
Mechanical ones need timely replacement, so they must be present in large quantities and have a low price. Let's consider the characteristics of chemicals that destroy malicious vineyard parasites.
Smoke
A good affordable remedy is “liquid smoke” used for smoking meat/fish. Parasites avoid the pungent odor, fearing fire. Once you saturate the soil with smoke, protection is guaranteed. There are several disadvantages:
- The unpleasant odor remains for a long period;
- Parasites, having tasted the grapes, will not quickly leave the tasty spot;
In the second case, use a sulfur smoke bomb; it can harm the bushes, leaving burns on the leaves and vines, although it will effectively deal with insects.
The method is quite controversial. Denying the apparent effectiveness is stupid, but it poses a danger to the grapes.
Acid
Boric acid is often used as a poison for bait (readily available and sold in every pharmacy). Odorless and tasteless, so insects will not suspect a catch in the treat
Boric acid is less dangerous than store-bought insecticides and will not cause chemical harm to the skin, so precautions are weaker than with other substances
All an insect needs to do is touch the bait – there will be no turning back, so you can not only pour the substance inside the trap, but also lubricate the trap with a “sweet” solution on the outside. It is recommended to use powder for the vineyard - not a solution, because the second one is alcohol-based, which will repel parasites, given the presence of a pungent odor.
Powders
Insecticidal powders are quite common, for example, borax is a well-known folk remedy for wasps. The powder should be added to the bait. Has no smell. Pollinate the grapes by first dissolving the product in water.
Remember: this is a chemical compound and particles of the solution are dangerous to eat. Such powders are easy to find in pharmacies and household chemicals stores. There are many store-bought products, they are inferior in price, but the impact is at approximately the same level.
Insecticides
A more effective way cannot be found. The main question arises: how to use insecticides without harming the grape bushes and your health? You'll have to take on the role of a researcher, following the wasps, looking for nests. The substance must be treated with the nest. When using a chemical, wear a protective suit, such as a beekeeper, it will perfectly protect the body. The products have a strong chemical smell; you must wear a protective mask.
Aerosol products (Raid, Raptor or good old Dichlorvos). Instant contact will keep insects alive, so there is another method of using aerosols:
- The product is sprayed onto a plastic bag.
- Then they quickly throw it on the nest and tie it
- After a couple of days they are thrown out along with the nest.
Alternatives:
- Gettom. It is necessary to generously treat the nest, especially the entry point. The insects will spread the poison throughout the “house” - the entire population will be destroyed.
- Delta Zone. Virtually odorless, used as an insecticide in traps/baits.
- Get. The method of use is the same as in aerosols, but the substance must be diluted with water, acting on a similar principle. Remember - manipulations must be done at night when wasps are least active.
- Otos. A fully prepared bait with all components, convenient/practical to use.
| Type of product | Easy to use | Efficiency | Price |
| Mechanical | – | – | + |
| Chemical | + | + | – |
Conclusion, based on the table indicators: mechanical means are inferior in basic characteristics, but the pricing policy is more loyal. If you have enough free time and opportunities, use the first option for fighting wasps, it is more accessible.
Nutrition of larvae
Wasps in the larval stage are insectivorous. According to the type of feeding, the larvae are divided into 2 groups: those that parasitize the eggs and larvae of beetles, and those that eat chewed insects of various types. The well-known paper wasps and hornets feed their offspring, which are not able to feed on their own. The larvae are unable to move, they only move their heads. The main food of young animals consists of the following insects:
- Butterflies;
- Bedbugs;
- Caterpillars;
- Slugs;
- Spiders;
- Cockroaches.
When living in close proximity to an apiary, the striped pest will hunt bees in order to feed them to the young. Such large representatives of wasps as hornets are distinguished by their ability to successfully hunt even lizards and mice. Single species of wasps have a less varied diet. Some of them feed exclusively on bedbugs, others on the larvae of certain beetles.
Some species of wasps are characterized by pronounced parasitism. Females climb into the home of other wasps and lay eggs directly on the larvae. It is worth paying special attention to some surprising eating habits of scoliic wasps. Insects do not build nests to raise their young. They lay eggs on prey that has been previously immobilized by poison. Eggs develop on this insect, and when they emerge, the larvae feed on the victim.
Meat and fish are of great interest to wasps, but only as food for the larvae. Adults carry small bitten pieces into the nest and feed them to the offspring, after chewing them first. Both carrion in the forest and fresh meat products at the market are suitable for them. Wasps can appear in the house as soon as they smell the meat smell.
Cuckoo spider
The struggle for existence forces many to show incredible ingenuity. For example, ceropalids
(Ceropalidae) from the subfamily of road wasps, being unable to fight spiders, have developed a special behavioral strategy. They track the pompila, following it while delivering prey to the burrow. Having seized the moment, the pompila will leave its trophy unattended; the ceropalids approach it and lay only one egg in its pulmonary opening, after which they run away. The returning pompila carries the spider's carcass into the hole, not suspecting that it is not destined to have any descendants. The ceropalid egg develops very quickly; the emerging larva first eats the pompila egg, and then proceeds to the second dish - the spider.
Vegetarian wasps
Some species of wasps do not show the slightest interest in meat and fish, as well as in insects as a source of food for themselves or their young. A striking example is the flower wasp, whose diet consists exclusively of flower nectar, regardless of the stage of development. Adults collect nectar from flowers and also store it in their home for their offspring. Other species are very similar to bees in their lifestyle and feeding method - they create reserves of honey.
There are also special types of wasps belonging to the intermediate type. They are in the middle between insects that eat other insects, and radically different from them - they collect and store honey. It is difficult to determine by external signs which representative of the wasp tribe is a vegetarian and which is an omnivore or a parasite. Outwardly, they are very similar, and for the most part have a classic black and yellow color.
What do they eat in summer
In summer, hymenoptera feed on flower nectar, honey from bees, juices of fruits, vegetables, and berries. They love sweets, as well as rotten foods. They are found in vineyards, raspberry fields and fruit and berry gardens.
Insects are attracted to kvass, lemonade, fruit and vegetable juice, jam, and syrup. They often attack bee colonies. They destroy the hive in 2 hours. They eat the honey themselves, and take the bees to feed the younger generation.
Fighting wasps on the site
Before fighting striped predators, you need to find out - is this really necessary? The benefits of them in the form of pest control are obvious. However, if you find a wasp nest in your home, you need to think about a way to eliminate the potential danger.
Wasp traps containing bait are very effective. Considering the food preferences of these insects, it is advisable to use beer, kvass, and fermented fruits. Many gardeners and farmers prefer not to destroy wasps, but use products to protect ripening fruits from pests, in the form of net covers.
Wasps are frequent guests in a private home. They live in close proximity to homes, hunting other insects in gardens or vegetable gardens, and may well fly into a house at the smell of food. If war is declared on these pests, you must take every precaution to avoid exposing yourself, your family, and your pets to them.
Where do they winter?
The most common version is that after the wasps leave the nest with the onset of cold weather, they look for a place where they can overwinter. But there is another one - insects are looking for a place to winter not in the fall, but starting from the end of summer. In any case, the shelter in which the wasp will spend the winter must maintain a constant temperature and be as closed as possible from wind and frost. That is why in the fall, wasps sometimes actively climb into a house, barn, or bathhouse, hiding in cracks and crevices.
Most often in nature, wasps spend the winter in places such as:
- tree bark (insects gnaw holes in it or get into existing cracks);
- in old rotten stumps;
- in rotten fallen trees;
- in a heap of fallen leaves.
Wasps moisten the walls of their winter shelter with saliva. Thanks to the enzymes it contains, the wood becomes denser and better protects the female until the weather warms up and she can fly again.
Population and species status
Photo: Osa
Wasps are a necessary, useful and significant part of the fauna. Yes, they do not produce tasty honey like bees and even harm beekeeping. However, in other areas of life and in nature, they perform a very useful task - they destroy various pests. They catch small insects and feed them to their offspring. This has a beneficial effect on plants. Garden and vegetable plantings do not suffer from the paws of pests.
For example, wasps can help completely get rid of a pest such as a mole cricket. If there is a mole cricket in the area, it is enough to attract wasps with the help of flower plants. Ground wasps will very quickly “restore order” to the area. Wasps can also be used to combat borers and leaf beetles. The following species feed on these pests: wall, paper, big-headed, big-nosed. They can significantly reduce the number of harmful insects. This is the best way to combat them without using chemicals.
Representatives of the wasp species are numerous. They are common in many countries, multiply quickly, and are able to protect themselves. Therefore, the species is not threatened by the process of extinction or extinction. However, it is impossible to track the wasp population with great accuracy. These are small insects that often settle in hard-to-reach places. For this reason, accurate population data does not exist.
In nature
What a wasp eats in nature depends on its species:
- The philanthus (bee wolf) eats honey, and feeds the younger generation with killed bees. Having caught its relative, the philanthus squeezes out and eats the honey, and the offspring feeds on the bee body.
- Scolia (large earthen one) hunts the offspring of the rhinoceros beetle, the beetle. She burrows into the ground, finds the victim, paralyzes it with poison, and then drags it into a prepared hole. Lays eggs on top of the carcass. Creates a new hole for the next larva.
- Pompilides (road). Their larvae prefer to feed on spiders. Some pompylids prey on poisonous tarantulas. Nests are built in the soil or inside branches, young shoots or old cavities of tree trunks. One spider body is enough to feed one larva.
Vegetarian wasps prefer to eat flower nectar and fruit juice.
Precautionary measures
Of course, self-defense is a vague concept. Sometimes a wasp may suspect a person of attacking when a hand hits it, and in other situations the insect may only react to a sudden movement. What is the reason for the aggressiveness of wasps?
Most likely, the wasp becomes excited on days when there is a lot of food around, primarily sweet fruits. In addition, wasps are much angrier in the heat. In July and August, not only the “viciousness” of wasps increases, but also their numbers. This should be taken into account.
You should also remember that wasps are attracted to bright colors and strong aromas. After all, this is how they find food. People do not take into account the fact that the sense of smell of insects is much more subtle and their analyzers are simply off the charts from the unbearable stench that people proudly call perfume. All these factors: brightness and variegation of clothing, excessive use of cosmetics and perfumes increase the chance of getting stabbed with a sword from enraged insects.
