Wasps, often feared for their stings, are fascinating insects playing vital roles in our ecosystems. As common stinging insects, they contribute to pollination and pest control, maintaining environmental balance. However, their presence can be concerning, especially when nests are built near homes or gardens. Understanding what wasps eat can help homeowners reduce attractants and prevent unwanted wasp activity. This article delves into the dietary habits of wasps, exploring what they eat, how their diet changes throughout their life cycle, and how to manage their presence around your home.
Dietary Preferences of Wasps
The diet of a wasp varies depending on the species and its stage of life. Adult wasps primarily consume sugary substances like nectar, fruit juices, and honeydew. They also hunt insects and invertebrates to feed their young. Wasps don't typically bite or hunt humans or large animals to feed their young.
Adult Wasps
Most adult wasps prefer consuming nectar from flowers, using their long tongues to reach nectar in places other bees can't access. During this process, they may also pick up pollen and spread it to other flowers, acting as passive pollinators. Adult parasitic wasps primarily eat nectar from flowers or fruits.
Wasps are also attracted to the protein in food, meaning they may approach meat sitting outside or hover over garbage bins with meat scraps. Some wasps are attracted to wine or beer left outdoors, likely because of the sugar content. Like humans, wasps can become intoxicated from drinking wine or beer, as alcohol is a toxin that affects most living things, including wasps. Due to their size, even a small taste can get a wasp "drunk," increasing aggression and irritability.
Wasp Larvae
Wasp larvae do not eat nectar like adults. Instead, they consume scavenged pieces of meat that worker wasps bring to the hive. Adult wasps catch flies and other insects by stinging and paralyzing them, then bring them back to the nest to feed the larvae. Wasps will target young caterpillars, aphids, and other small insects.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Seasonal Dietary Changes
A wasp's diet changes throughout its life cycle. In early summer, adult wasps hunt insects to feed their larvae, which secrete a sugary liquid that the adults consume. Some wasps also regurgitate partially digested food to share nutrients within the colony. This mutual exchange continues until late summer, when the larvae mature into adults. As a result, wasps begin to crave external sources of sugar, leading them to seek out fruit, nectar, and human food like sodas or sweets.
Specific Food Sources for Wasps
Wasps are omnivores, consuming both meat and plants. Here's a detailed look at what they eat:
Sugary Substances
- Nectar: A sugary liquid collected from flowers, providing energy for wasps to fly and hunt.
- Honeydew: A sweet liquid produced by aphids and other plant-eating insects.
- Fruit Juices: Some species, like bald-faced hornets, primarily consume fruit juices and nectar.
- Soda and Sweets: Wasps are attracted to sugary liquids like soda, fruit juice, or spilled drinks.
- Pollen: Collected by wasps when they visit flowers, providing extra nutrients, protein, and energy.
- Honey: Some wasps might steal honey from beehives or find honeycomb in the wild.
- Tree Sap: During warmer months, wasps may drink sap from trees, providing energy and nutrients.
Insects and Meat
- Flies and Insects: Adult wasps catch flies and other insects by stinging and paralyzing them to feed their larvae.
- Caterpillars: Wasps will target young caterpillars, which are soft and easy to carry.
- Aphids: Small pests that feed on plants, often hunted by wasps.
- Spiders: Some species, such as paper wasps and mud daubers, hunt spiders by stinging and paralyzing them.
- Carrion: Dead or decaying animals provide wasps with additional protein. Yellow jackets are aggressive scavengers and often swarm around garbage cans.
- Other Wasps: Some wasps are cannibals, eating other wasps when food sources are scarce, especially in species like the European hornet and certain yellow jacket species. This typically occurs when protein sources are limited.
Other Foods
- Ripe Fruit: Wasps love ripe fruit like apples, grapes, and peaches, which are full of sugar.
- Fermented Fruit: When fruit rots, it ferments and produces alcohol, attracting wasps to the sugar and alcohol.
- Wood Pulp: Paper wasps chew wood pulp to create their paper-like nests.
How to Avoid Attracting Wasps
Nobody likes to see insects crawling or flying in their home. Wasps are particularly scary, and the best way to prevent them from entering your home is to learn as much as possible about their food sources. Noticing a wasp flying around usually isn’t a source of concern. However, if you see several wasps during the day, it could indicate a wasp nest is nearby.
Signs of a Wasp Infestation
The biggest signs of wasp infestation include:
- Constantly noticing wasps flying around your property.
- Wasps in the house.
- Wasps coming and going from the same spot.
- Chewed wood or holes in the wood around the home.
- Loud and consistent buzzing noise.
- Presence of a wasp nest.
What Attracts Wasps?
Wasps get inside a home or build a nest on your property for several reasons:
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
- Safe refuge in the form of insulated walls, crevices, and hidden cavities and cracks.
- Insect availability in the yard or garden.
- Certain foods.
- Flowers.
- Garbage.
Prevention Tips
- Keep the Trash Covered: Wasps are attracted to homes and yards that provide easy access to trash. Keep garbage bins covered tightly, preferably using bins with secure locking lids or bungee cords.
- Cover Your Food: Prevent wasps from getting into your home or swarming around the yard by covering food, especially sweet foods and meat.
- Fix the Cracks: Seal or patch up cracks, holes, and other areas through which wasps can get inside, such as around the edges of siding, along power lines, and in window screens. Do this in the fall when adult worker wasps die or in the early spring before they become active.
- Use Essential Oils: Peppermint oil can repel wasps. Combine peppermint oil and water in a spray bottle and spray the mixture along entry points. Other helpful essential oils include clove, geranium, and lemongrass.
- Use Water and Soap: A combination of water and soap can be sprayed on a wasp's nest to clog their breathing pores, causing them to die.
- Hang Wasp Traps: These traps contain liquid that attracts wasps, causing them to get inside and drown.
- Prioritize Plants That Repel Wasps: Opt for wasp-repelling plants like marigold, geranium, mint, basil, pennyroyal, and wormwood.
- Don't Leave Food Unattended: If you’re eating or drinking outdoors, prevent wasps by not leaving food unattended or leaving it covered in an airtight container.
Why It’s Not Wise to Kill Wasps
Wasps do more good for our environment than we realize. They destroy insects and pests that carry human diseases, and killing wasps can make others more aggressive. Always wait for pest control experts to recommend the most practical way to get rid of the wasps instead of taking action on your own.
What to Do If You Suspect There’s a Wasp Nest Around Your House
If you suspect there’s a wasp colony somewhere around your house, call professionals. Pest control experts will carry out a thorough inspection to locate the nest and take care of it. This is a much better option than doing it on your own, as untrained individuals may provoke wasps.
Understanding Wasp Behavior
Wasps' diets change throughout the year, depending on the season and the needs of the colony. Understanding these changes can help you anticipate wasp behavior and make proactive steps to manage their presence around your home.
In spring, the wasp diet mainly consists of protein-rich foods needed to help the larvae develop. Worker wasps hunt insects like caterpillars, flies, and spiders, which provide the protein necessary for the colony’s young. Because the colony is still small in the spring, wasps do not need large quantities of food.
Summer is the peak of wasp activity. During this time, the nest is fully established, and the colony has expanded to its largest size. As the colony grows, so does the need for food. Worker wasps are responsible for gathering food for both the larvae and the adult wasps. In summer, wasps become more aggressive in their search for food.
Read also: Weight Loss with Low-FODMAP
In addition to sugary foods, wasps also continue to forage for nectar from flowers and honeydew produced by aphids or other plant-sucking insects. These sugary substances give wasps the energy they need for their daily activities. As the colony’s food requirements grow, so does the demand for protein and sugar to support both the larvae and the adult wasps. Summer is also the period when wasps may become more defensive, as their nests are fully established, and they are focused on protecting their colony.