Should people learn to love wasps?

Some people think that these pesky insects deserve to be treated more kindly.

Summer is the perfect season to have a picnic. Sitting on the grass with sandwiches, fruit and cake feels like an ideal way to spend the day. However, that joy can quickly be shattered by the arrival of a wasp. These annoying buzzy insects have a terrible reputation.

The same can’t be said for their honey-making relatives. Bees are seen by many as cute and cuddly, and humans are very keen to protect them. If someone spots a tired bee on the floor, they might give it a little bit of sugar and water to help it get moving again. While bees have developed a positive public image, wasps are seen as much more aggressive and scary. But are wasps really as bad as people think?

Many people don’t realise it, but wasps can play a very important role as local pest controllers. In fact, each summer, wasps in the UK catch an estimated 14 million kilograms of insect prey, like caterpillars, spiders and aphids. This is important for protecting plants in people’s gardens, which could otherwise be infested with bugs. Adult wasps don’t eat the insects that they kill. Instead, they capture bugs and take them back to their nest for their young to feed on.