Topic: Vegetarian wasps

[picman]

I don't hold the view that wasps are pests , they do a a good job keeping pests down, I was surprised to see a wasp gang chewing on a Dahlia stem. they were obviously enjoying the sap , never seen it before, perhaps they had removed some aphids and were cleaning up after them....   

[Melbourne12]

The problem is that wasps are the gardener's friend early in the season, when they do indeed feast on harmful pests, but our enemy later on, when the fruit ripens and they spoil so much produce.

Beekeepers don't like wasps either, as they sometimes attack and overwhelm whole hives, eating the bee larvae.

[Robert_Brenchley]

That only happens if the hive's weak, in which case it may die out anyway. I keep hive entrances small, and there are usually more dead wasps than dead bees outside them this time of year.

[Silverleaf]

Urgh. I hate the things. I just can't stand the idea of a wasp touching me.

That said, I'm happy to let them live. I just can't go near one.