Wasps are not popular with some - but knowledgeable nature lovers know: The insects are an important part of the ecological system and very useful in the garden. Therefore, as a hobby gardener, you should not only create favorable conditions for bees, but also for wasps.
Wasps are very useful insects
What wasps do in the garden
Bees are currently enjoying privileged attention and are therefore getting off better than ever with many. At political elections, bee protection measures are advertised, bee pasture flower seed mixtures are available in every supermarket and the guild of hobby beekeepers is larger than ever. Wasps, on the other hand, continue to have a reputation for being annoying and dangerous. They do a lot of valuable work for the biological balance, which can only benefit a private garden. For example:
- flower pollination
- pest extermination
- Secondary expansion of biodiversity (birds)
So if you want to enjoy a colorful blooming garden, rely on natural pest control and attract many other beneficial insects, such as wasp-eating birds such as the red-backed shrike or the honey buzzard, you would do well to welcome wasps.
How to attract and care for wasps
The solitary wasps in particular can provide a hobby gardener with valuable services and also harbor less potential for disturbance and danger due to their solitary nature. In order to lure the animals, also known as clay wasps because of their brood cell structure, into the garden, the following measures are recommended:
- Set up suitable nesting aids
- Cultivate sphecophilic (wasp-adapted) plants
- General natural gardening
You can easily build suitable nesting aids for solitary wasps yourself. Tree discs made of hardwood with cleanly drilled holes that are not too large are most suitable. This provides the animals with a protective, narrow channel for the brood cell system that does not injure their sensitive wings. Wasps also like hollow plant stems (especially pithful blackberry stems) or holes in baked clay. Perforated bricks are not suitable at all. The holes in it are much too big for wasps and wild bees.
It is also wasp-friendly to have so-called sphecophilic plants in the garden. With their flower shape, such have specifically specialized in wasps as pollinators. These include, above all, ivy, wild thyme and figwort and orchid. From their often funnel-shaped flowers, the wasps can more easily access the pollen with their mouthparts.
In general, it is of course beneficial if you leave your garden as natural and diverse as possible. In this way, other beneficial insects and plants are also offered a good habitat and the micro-ecosystem is more stable.