Support a species: Wonderful wasps

Possibly the most feared of all British insects, the Wasp deserves a better press.

a wasp

Wasp facts

Despite being generally disliked, wasps provide important ecological services including pollination and pest control.
Wasps help by getting rid of crop-eating insects such as caterpillars and beetles. Some farmers bring in hives of wasps as a form of natural pest control.

How you can help

  • Although many people may be pleased by the news of decreasing wasp numbers, they play an important role in the environment.
  • You can help wasps by buying organic food and being tolerant of them in late summer.

Threats to wasps

  • Wasp numbers have decreased dramatically since the 1980s.
  • The common wasp and German wasp have suffered huge losses believed to be a result of the increased use of pesticides and indirect reduction of their food sources.
  • Climate change has resulted in varying temperatures in late winter and early spring, this can confuse wasps into coming out of hibernation too early – they then die when the temperature drops again.

Spotting wasps

If you want to seek out wasps, the best time is in late summer when the workers are no longer feeding their larvae and instead search out other sweet sources such as our picnics and barbeques.

Wasps are also a fan of rotting fruit, which has fallen from trees.