what do wasps eat?

Answer 1

I just say insects and spiders.
Years ago and I mean years. People would actually go find a Hornet's Nest in the woods and bring it to their home and hang somewhere. Many put it on their porch. This would help keep the insects down in a natural way. When I studied this I had a Wasp Nest that started under the roof just outside my porch and decide I see what would happen. The nest got huge!!!! But, the wasps seen people all the time and we ignore them. Never once was anyone stung. What was funny though, I could stare at them and they raise their wings and get nervous. When I would look away they calm and lower their wings. Also, when I painted the side of the house, I used a roller and slowly roll up to the nest to paint (Ready to run), but, they never attacked. Made for a great research paper for College. ;-)

Wasps are highly important to ecosystems. Sawflies consume vegetation and so limit plant growth. Most other wasps are either parasitic or predaceous and therefore play a vital role in limiting the populations of thousands of other insect species.
http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/wasps/

I got a pop-up and clicked the X in the top right corner.

Answer 2

Generally wasps are parasites as larvae, and feed only on nectar as adults. Some wasps are omnivorous but this is relatively uncommon, they feed on a variety of fallen fruit, nectar and carrion. Many wasps are predatory, preying on other insects. Certain social wasp species, such as yellowjackets, scavenge for dead insects to provide for their young. In turn the brood provides sweet secretions for the adults.

In parasitic species the first meals are almost always provided from the animal the adult wasp used as a host for its young. Adult male wasps sometimes visit flowers to obtain nectar to feed on in much the same manner as honey bees. Occasionally, some species, such as yellowjackets, invade honeybee nests and steal honey and/or brood.

Answer 3

clevelandbrownsgirl, not all wasps are parasites when larvae!!!

Many species are free living organisms. Larvae are fed with chewed insects like grasshoppers, crickets etc. They are kept in cells just like bees larvae.

There are many species, in the genders Vespa, Vespula, Polistes etc.

Here you can see the whole life cycle:
http://entomology.unl.edu/images/paprwasps/paprwasps.htm

Answer 4

I agree with Peter Pan

Answer 5

dead wood, wasps clear a huge amount of it every year apparently

Answer 6

They are omniverous - like us, meat or veg.