Most wasp species are predators. Their function is in the control of many other insect species. They are actually very effective parasitoids, and because of this efficiency they have been used for decades as biological control agents. Many crop pests including hornworms and scale insects which cost millions of dollars in loss annulally are controled by wasps. Without these predators, tomatoes, oranges, tobacco, and many other important crops would be so scarce that the price of them would skyrocket.
Their method of efficiency is that they will lay one egg on the back of a caterpillar, and throught the process of polyembrony, the egg multiplies itself, producing hundreds of larvae. These larvae hatch, kill the caterpillar, and pupate. Once development is compltete, the newly formed wasps will emerge and go out in search of their own caterpillar to deposit eggs on. After a year, there are millions of these wasps and they are naturally able to control the number of potentially devastating pest species.
In nature, most moths and beetles have some species of wasp that is their specific parasitoid. Without these parasitoids, longhorn beetles would reduce the forest to sawdust and caterpillars would strip every leaf off of every plant they can find. Wasps act to control theri numbers, and keep a balance between the pests and the hosts.
Certain wasps, like yellow jackets (the ones by the picnic table) are actually pollinators and ensure the survival of many plant species, just like their very close relatives, the bees.
I hope that answers your question!
2006-12-01 08:58:41
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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Wasps are beneficial, hate to say it. I'm immune to a few species because the "bastards" have stung me so many times. They hunt a lot of pest organisms. There are even wasps you can buy out of garden catalogs that go around stinging their eggs into aphid after aphid, causing their larvae to erupt from their bodies days later just like in the movie "alien."
If you do need to kill wasp nests, It's good to hit them in the evening when they're all at the nest. Yellowjacket nests in the ground can be killed with a bottle of everclear grain alcohol -- won't pollute groundwater. Hairspray knocks them right out of the air because it stiffens their wings to where they can't use them.
Happy hunting.
2006-12-01 16:46:41
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answer #2
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answered by dinotheorist 3
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they are annoying, but you should not be terrified, unless u have an allergic reaction.
and killing them now will for sure get you stung someday
best thing to do is to not bother them, and they wont bother u
2006-12-02 16:05:59
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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They transfer pollen for plants, trees, flowers.
But I hate em too...so do like I do...RUN
I especially hate those dang bumble bees
and those boring bumble bees.
2006-12-01 16:38:27
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answer #4
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answered by ward6359 3
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rub some honey on ur nipples and feel the sting! U KNOW U LIKE IT U KNOW U WANT IT!
2006-12-01 18:58:39
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answer #5
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answered by ? 1
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They are here simply to remind us of pain, and that we are alive :)
2006-12-01 16:37:53
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answer #6
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answered by peter m 3
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