Wasp

Wasp facts at a glance

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Life inside the colony

Common wasps are social insects that live in colonies founded each spring by a single overwintered queen. She builds a small paper nest from chewed wood fibres and raises the first workers, who then take over expanding the nest and gathering food. By late summer a nest may hold thousands of workers. The colony produces new queens and males in autumn, after which the old nest dies off and only newly mated queens survive the winter.

Flight and foraging

Wasps are strong, agile fliers, reaching speeds of around 25 km/h as they range out from the nest in search of food. Their two pairs of wings and narrow waist give them precise control in the air, letting them hover, dart, and land accurately. Foragers can travel considerable distances and return laden with prey or sugary liquids. Good eyesight and a keen sense of smell help them locate food quickly.

What wasps eat

The common wasp is an omnivore with a diet that shifts through the year. For much of the summer, workers hunt caterpillars, flies, and other insects, which they chew up and feed to the grubs back in the nest. In return, the larvae produce a sugary secretion the adults consume. Later in the season, when the larvae are gone, adults turn to nectar, ripe fruit, and sugary human foods, which is why they become a nuisance at picnics in late summer.

The sting and defence

Unlike honeybees, wasps have a smooth stinger and can sting repeatedly without dying. The sting is used to subdue prey and to defend the nest, and a threatened colony can mount an aggressive collective response. A wasp under attack may also release an alarm pheromone that summons nearby nestmates. For most people a sting is painful but harmless, though some individuals are dangerously allergic.

Role in the garden

As predators of caterpillars, flies, and other insects, common wasps help keep populations of garden pests in check throughout the summer. When they switch to feeding on nectar and fruit later in the season, they also act as occasional pollinators. This makes them more useful to gardeners than their reputation suggests. Their appetite for sugary foods in autumn is simply a sign that the colony's hunting season is ending.

Lifespan and the yearly cycle

The wasp colony follows a strict annual rhythm. Worker wasps live only a few weeks during the busy summer, while a queen can survive about a year, long enough to overwinter and found a new colony the following spring. In autumn the founding queen and her workers die, and only the newly mated young queens live on, sheltering through winter in cracks and crevices. The common wasp is abundant and listed as Least Concern.

Did you know? Wasp facts

• Wasps are stinging insects with slender, often yellow-and-black bodies, of which the common wasp is one of the most familiar.
• Wasps tend to have slender, smooth bodies and are predators or scavengers, while bees are usually furrier and feed mainly on nectar and pollen. Wasps can also sting repeatedly, whereas a honey bee dies after stinging once.
• Wasps sting to defend their nest and to subdue insect prey for their larvae. A smooth stinger lets a female wasp sting several times, and most stings happen when a wasp feels threatened.
• Adult wasps feed mostly on sugars from nectar, fruit, and sweet foods, while they catch insects and spiders to feed their developing young. This hunting makes them useful for controlling garden pests.
• Yes. Wasps help control populations of insect pests, scavenge dead material, and pollinate some plants. Despite their reputation, they provide real benefits to gardens and ecosystems.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Wasp feeds primarily as a omnivore (insects, nectar, sugary foods). Wasps fall into two broad groups: social wasps such as the common wasp and hornets that live in colonies, and the far more numerous solitary wasps that live alone. Social wasps build nests from chewed wood fibers, creating a papery material in which th

Adaptations

• Wasps fall into two broad groups: social wasps such as the common wasp and hornets that live in colonies, and the far more numerous solitary wasps that live alone. Social wasps build nests from chewed wood fibers, creating a papery material in which the queen and her workers raise the brood. A colony grows through the summer and then dies off, with only new queens surviving the winter.
• Adult wasps feed mainly on sugars from nectar, fruit, and human food, while they hunt insects and spiders to feed their growing larvae. This makes them valuable natural pest controllers in gardens and on farms. Late in the season, when the colony stops producing brood, foraging workers often turn to sweet foods, which is when they become a nuisance around picnics.

Behaviour & ecology

• Wasps fall into two broad groups: social wasps such as the common wasp and hornets that live in colonies, and the far more numerous solitary wasps that live alone. Social wasps build nests from chewed wood fibers, creating a papery material in which the queen and her workers raise the brood. A colony grows through the summer and then dies off, with only new queens surviving the winter.
• Adult wasps feed mainly on sugars from nectar, fruit, and human food, while they hunt insects and spiders to feed their growing larvae. This makes them valuable natural pest controllers in gardens and on farms. Late in the season, when the colony stops producing brood, foraging workers often turn to sweet foods, which is when they become a nuisance around picnics.
• Female wasps have a smooth stinger that, unlike a honey bee's, is not left behind, so they can sting many times. The sting is used both to subdue prey and to defend the nest. For most people a sting is painful but harmless, though some individuals are allergic and can have severe reactions.

Communication

• Wasp uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Gardens, woodlands, and urban areas

Ecological role

Wasp participates in pollination, decomposition, or prey-base support for birds and other insectivores.

Conservation status of the Wasp

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Wasp:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Vespula vulgaris.

• IUCN Red List — Vespula vulgaris.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Vespula vulgaris. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Wasp.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.