Gardeners and gardeners, brushing off annoying striped flying insects that sit on watermelons or soda water, ask themselves the question: why do we need wasps? What is their significance in human life? What ecological role do they play in nature?
The role and purpose of the bee in nature does not raise questions. The value of melliferous insects is multifaceted. Not everyone knows how useful wasps are.
Hornet characteristic
The largest representative of public wasps from the order of Hymenoptera, distributed in the northern hemisphere. The insect has a waist characteristic of a wasp and transparent wings. The abdomen is colored with stripes, the eyes are large, and the oral apparatus is equipped with strong jaws. The largest wasp in the world differs from small relatives in a richer color spectrum: black, brown, orange and yellow colors are present on the body of this bright predator.
These insects create colonies and build dwellings consisting of honeycombs, which are arranged in several rows horizontally (up to 7 tiers). The material for building the nest is wood, which is exposed to saliva during the process of thorough chewing. These wasps choose places to live in the hollows of large trees, in attics and under roofs. In the steppe regions, hornets prefer to build dwellings in the burrows of forest animals.
The hornet can eat both plant foods and various insects. From vegetarian food, he prefers flower nectar, as well as ripe sweet fruits, honey and berries. However, it is a predator that feeds its prey to its larvae. Among his victims are flies, gadflies, horseflies, wasps, locusts, bees. The hornet carefully chews the prey, and then feeds the resulting mass of its larvae.
The founder and head of the colony is the queen. After wintering, she wakes up from hibernation, and is looking for a suitable place to found a dwelling. In the first row of combs, she lays eggs and rears larvae, which at the beginning of summer already become working individuals (females unable to reproduce).
The worker hornets bring food for the next batch of larvae and for the queen, protect the nest from potential enemies, and continue to build it. The queen is now exclusively occupied with laying eggs. In autumn, young queens and drones also grow up in the aspen family. After mating at the end of autumn, they hide for the winter, and the old uterus dies.
Breeding features
To begin with, it should be understood that the entire swarm of presented insects lives for only one season. The next year, a new population appears. Before studying the wasp benefits and harms, it is necessary to study the main features of their existence, reproduction and vital activity. In the spring season, females are engaged in the manufacture of cells, in which eggs are subsequently laid.
Public wasps that live in families have their own uterus. It is she who is responsible for the construction of the nest. After infertile females are born, they are also involved in this process. The entire period of development from egg to adult lasts for one month. This information is as interesting as the wasp benefits and harms, which attracts the attention of the average citizen.
At the beginning of development of the larvae, the uterus feeds them with pre-prepared sugar substances.In the future, the diet of future individuals expands due to the use of insects carefully chewed by females. Do not forget that the larvae may well consume certain foods found in the kitchen of a human dwelling.
The main types of hornets
There are 23 varieties that have a similar way of life, diet, breeding characteristics. However, each of them has significant differences in appearance. The most common types of hornets in the photo:
- Common hornet. The most common species, found mainly in Europe. The species is also present in North America. The dimensions of the working individual are 20-22 mm, the uterus is 30-35 mm.
- Asian giant. The largest species with a record size for a wasp - up to 10 cm.The predator lives in Asia and is represented by several subspecies. A distinctive feature is a bright yellow head and black broad stripes on the body. This is one of the most dangerous hornets, since the poison is extremely toxic, and can even provoke the death of a person.
- The black. This wasp is common in Asian countries, and in some regions of Russia (Amur Region, Transbaikalia). The insect is characterized by a parasitic lifestyle. The female is not busy caring for her offspring like other species. It enters a colony of large wasps of another species, kills the queen, and takes its place.
All wasp species have toxic venom for protection and successful hunting.
Where do wasps live, what do they build nests from?
Wasps are not picky about the choice of residence. They can build a nest in a barn, on a balcony, under a canopy, in trees. You can meet wasps in parks. Wasps build nests wherever they have to, even on a small pebble a nest can grow, accommodating about a thousand individuals. Wasps can build nests in the ground.
How does this happen? Wasps gnaw wood and chew it. Thanks to the special enzymes of saliva, the wood is crushed and turned into paper. For this reason, public wasps are called paper wasps. This is what a hornet's nest looks like.
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Wasp nest under construction
Wasps begin to lay a nest after spring awakening. The "foundation" of the nest is laid by the uterus, then the colony of wasps joins the construction. Wasps build their nests very quickly. The uterus is located in the very center of the nest. This part of the nest is built by wasps from the sturdiest wood materials.
Finished hornets nest
A paper hornet's nest serves as a temporary shelter for insects. Wasps live in it in spring and summer. With the onset of cold weather, the wasps scatter in search of a place for wintering:
- Some of them live in rotten nest boxes;
- Others hide in the crevices of trees;
- Wasps also use plots of land under fallen leaves as a winter refuge.
Those wasps that remain in the paper nest are doomed to death. A wasp nest can be as large as a walnut, but the largest can be as big as a basketball.
What are the benefits and harms of hornets
The main benefit of these large wasps is to kill insect pests. Thanks to this, gardeners and summer residents can not use means to combat pests of agricultural crops.
However, this feature of the lifestyle of large wasps can turn from useful to harmful to humans. In the fall season, the hornet is still active, while most insects are already hiding or dying, and the predator turns its attention to bees as the only food source. If hornets have chosen an apiary for residence, they are able to exterminate a huge number of bees in a short time. During an attack on hives, one winged predator can kill up to 30 bees per day.
The close proximity of hornets can cause a lot of trouble for a person.The poison of the insect is very toxic, the bite is very painful, and the pain and swelling remain on the body for several days. It should be borne in mind that an angry predator can inflict bites several times in a row, and this can provoke serious consequences. Consequences of a bite:
- Strong intoxication;
- Fever and dizziness;
- Breathing disorders, shortness of breath;
- Seizures;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Severe allergies, anaphylactic shock.
The consequences and their severity depend on a person's propensity for allergies, age and health.
The composition of wasp venom
The components that make up the wasp venom have a quick effect on the nervous system at the cellular level. Important tasks for the body are performed by acetylcholine and serotonin, which are responsible for the transmission of impulses of nervous excitation in the central nervous system.
Actively acting on the nerve endings, wasp poison provokes a sharp reaction of the immune system.
The composition of the wasp secret includes the following components:
- acetylcholine;
- histamines;
- phospholipase;
- hyaluronidase.
The first enzyme causes serious damage to the central nervous system. Exposure to histamine and toxins provokes the activation of inflammatory processes, an allergic reaction. For allergy sufferers, there is a risk of developing urticaria, febrile conditions, Quincke's edema.
Under the influence of phospholipids, the destruction of healthy cells occurs, which causes severe pain, inflammation, manifested by edema at the sites of bites. Hyaluronidase has similar toxic properties.
Where do wasps come from at their summer cottage
The neighborhood with stinging insects is not very pleasing to summer residents, despite some benefits and help in pest control. If wasps are bred on the site, the main reason may be the abundance of food for them in the form of flies, caterpillars and other living creatures. These predators usually appear from the forest nearby, from wasteland, and other places of wild nature.
Insects are unpredictable. They are able to suspect the danger in the sudden movements of the owners of the dacha, in playing children and in pets. A hornet can attack even an imaginary offender, signaling an alarm to the rest of its relatives.
Why don't people like wasps?
If the benefits of striped insects are not always noticeable, then people feel the harm from them in full. It manifests itself not only in bites, but also in eaten fruits and berries.
Spoiled harvest
After pollination of plants, insects claim fruit. They prefer soft, sweet fruits. A large swarm can damage a large number of apples, pears, plums, raspberries. The grapes are especially affected. Wasps with strong mandibles easily gnaw through the skin and drink juice. Damaged berries impair the presentation of the bunches.
Various methods are used to combat insects:
- hang bait;
- destroy nests;
- treat grapes with chemicals;
- wrap the bunches in special bags.
Bee exterminators
The greatest harm from wasps is experienced by beekeepers. Predators are attracted by the aroma of sweet honey. They sneak into the hive and eat the supplies prepared by the bees. Lack of food weakens the brood. In addition, a battle ensues between bees and wasps, in which many honey plants perish. A strong family is able to fight off the invaders of paper wasps, and a weak one may not cope.
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An attack on the apiary of the largest representatives of the wasp family - hornets - is critical. The striped giants are much larger than the bees. They easily tear apart prey, grabbing on the fly. A hive with honey and insects becomes an ideal food base for them.
Another enemy of beekeepers is a philanthropist or a bee wolf. It is a solitary wasp of a small size 10-17 mm. She paralyzes her victim with a sting under the chin. This place is not protected by chitin and the poison quickly enters the main nerve node.Nectar is very harmful to philanthropy's offspring. He carefully crumples the killed victim with his paws, squeezing out the contents of the abdomen. The nectar is eaten by an adult, the body of the bee is given to the larvae.
Insects use two types of self-defense. The first is a deterrent color. She signals to birds and reptiles about the poisonousness of wasps. As an active defense, they use a sting located at the end of the abdomen. Over the years of evolution, the ovipositor of females has evolved into a solid tube. The smooth organ does not get stuck in the skin, so the insect is capable of inflicting many bites.
After a bite, the following symptoms may appear:
- burning and itching;
- redness and swelling;
- headache;
- increased heart rate.
A stung person should be given first aid. The bite site is treated with an antiseptic agent - hydrogen peroxide, alcohol tincture. A cold compress is used to relieve pain and swelling.
Fighting hornets and wasps in the garden
There are many ways to destroy wasp nests, but not all of them are safe. It should be remembered that insects perceive any approach to their dwelling extremely hostile, and the whole swarm can attack. If you urgently need to get rid of a dangerous neighborhood, the only right solution would be to treat with insecticidal agents, observing precautions. However, even if all the wasps on your site are poisoned, their nest will not be empty for a long time, and another colony will take it.
The best option for dealing with striped predators may be to destroy their dwellings in the spring, when they are not yet inhabited. You need to carefully inspect the buildings, old trees, old birdhouses, and burn all the nests. Repeat the rounds regularly, and when small nests appear, destroy them. Before the summer season, the wasps will build their own home elsewhere.
The consequences of the disappearance
Each insect has its own function in nature. Its disappearance will necessarily lead to an imbalance. Being predators, wasps regulate the number of other insects, successfully destroying them. This is how the natural balance is maintained.
Indirectly, they are protectors of insects with a color similar to wasp. The striped coloring of harmless beetles and butterflies allows them to avoid encounters with predators that bypass those who look like wasps with a harsh disposition.
How to kill stinging insects
No matter how great the benefits of wasps in nature, in some cases people have to go to extreme measures and destroy dangerous neighbors. To reduce the number of insects, special traps are used. These are homemade or commercial containers with a sweet bait. Individuals that have flown into them cannot get out.
You can get rid of the nest with the help of modern insecticidal preparations. Aerosol products - Dr. Klaus, Mosquitoll. Dichlorvos allow you to quickly and effectively destroy stinging insects. An effective way is to burn the nest. But using it under the roof of a house or on a tree will not work.
Everything created by nature has its own purpose. The beneficial insects of wasps should not be underestimated. Without these tireless hunters, the cities would have to fend off hordes of flies. In gardens, predators destroy harmful insects, allowing less frequent use of chemicals.
What do they eat in summer
The diet and dietary habits of larvae and adults differ significantly. Thinking about what wasps eat, you can decide that they are omnivorous, but this is a misconception. Quite a lot of what the wasps eat and which they will never touch. Moreover, they are picky enough in the matter of nutrition.
The most constant nutrition of insects is fruit, berry juice, which ripens during the period of their activity. Such food is the main source of energy. In addition, wasps love the insides of berries and are able to leave behind only the skin. This includes plums, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and grapes.
Also, the representatives' favorite products are:
- Sugar;
- Honey products;
- Fruit preserves;
- Sweet syrups.
In turn, the larvae feed exclusively on proteinaceous tissues, that is, other insects. Suitable for feeding and developing future offspring:
- Slug;
- Butterfly;
- Spider;
- Caterpillar;
- Cockroach;
- Bed bugs and other insects.
Important! If there are hives with bee colonies nearby, there is a danger of predators destroying striped workers.
