Many people are not particularly fond of wasps. They are annoying when eating at the garden table and a wasp nest in the house and garden can also be very dangerous. But you have to leave a good hair on the black and yellow critters: They eat pests, including aphids.
Wasps love aphids
What good wasps do in the garden
First of all, a wasp nest in the garden is anything but pleasant. Especially when wasps nest in the ground, unexpected and very dangerous clashes can occur. Combating them is difficult because, firstly, dealing with the stinging insects is a delicate matter and, secondly, some wasp species are also protected. It is therefore best to rely on passive defense methods such as certain aromatic plants, consistent covering of tempting food at the garden table or distraction maneuvers.
It is even easier to come to terms with the animals at least a little if you realize what use they bring in the garden. Their beneficial areas include:
- flower pollination
- pest extermination
Adult wasps mainly eat sweets, as you can see when eating cakes and ice cream outdoors. However, plant food sources are still their main landing sites. In addition to sweet plant juices and honeydew, they feed primarily on the nectar of easily accessible flowers such as ivy, brown or orchid. At the same time, they take on the important pollination task.
When it comes to destroying pests, however, they are almost more effective. Because the wasp larvae only need animal protein to grow, the adults also hunt a lot of insects. They are mainly after caterpillars, grasshoppers, flies, spiders - and also aphids.
On the one hand, aphids are a frequently available prey for wasps - because, as every hobby gardener will painfully confirm, they are one of the most common pests on house and garden plants. On the other hand, aphids are also fairly easy for wasps to kill. While capturing fast flying insects requires a great deal of skill, the wasps do not need to sneak up on aphids or make sudden dives from ambush.
Wasps can therefore be counted among the most effective natural predators of aphids, alongside ladybirds, lacewings and earwigs.