Wasps, while stereotypically aggressive creatures, are actually quite fascinating. At Bee Master of Las Vegas, we are also wasp experts, and we aim to help educate people on various topics, including wasps, to help people better understand these tiny creatures, so here are some “fun” facts about wasps.
There are over 30,000 of them.
You may think all wasps make a beeline for humans, but that’s far from the truth. Over 30,000 species of wasps are divided into solitary and social. Solitary wasps often live in individual nests in the ground and aren’t dangerous to humans unless provoked. On the other hand, social wasps are further classified into three groups: hornets, yellow jackets, and paper wasps, and they live in colonies. Social wasps are carnivorous and more aggressive towards humans, resulting in stings.
Yellow Jacket venom can attract more yellow jackets.
A not-so-fun fact is that yellow jackets, the most familiar and aggressive wasps in US backyards, can attract other yellow jackets to you! Their stings “mark” their victim with an alarm pheromone that tells other yellow jackets they are a threat, making you a potential target for other yellow jackets.
Paper Wasps don’t have a very creative name.
Paper Wasps got their name because they make their nests out of paper. They chew up bits of wood and bark, mix them with their saliva, and spit out rough paper pulp. They form the substance into nests, containing individual cells facing downward or resembling a gray football. Paper wasp nests are often located on trees, in vegetation, or under the eaves of homes.
Colors vary across wasp species.
Many wasps fend off predators with distinctive yellow and black bands on their abdomens, but this doesn’t apply to all species. Wasps sport various colors, including red, blue, green, and orange. For example, the steel blue cricket hunter is a blue solitary wasp, while the cicada killer wasp is orange. Bright colors warn other species, while darker colors help them blend in with their surroundings.
Wasps also contribute to ecosystems.
Like bees, wasps play a significant role in our ecosystem as pollinators, though wasps are as effective as they’re not covered in fuzzy hairs to help transfer pollen. A particularly important family of pollinating wasps is Agaonidae, the fig wasps. Every single one of the 900 species of fig wasps is specialized to pollinate one of the 900 species of fig.
The Mymaridae family contains the smallest known insects.
Fairy flies, or fairy wasps, are a family of about 1,400 wasp species native to tropical climates. They grow up to 1 millimeter in length, making them the world’s smallest insects known to science. Though parasitic fairy wasps are tiny, they play a role in agriculture by laying their eggs in the bodies of crop pests, effectively killing them and protecting crops.
The Asian Giant Hornet has a fitting name.
The Asian Giant Hornet has a suitable name because it’s the world’s largest wasp with a wingspan of over three inches, a body length of two inches, and a stinger nearly a quarter of an inch long and effectively takes down entire beehives in a short time.
Wasps inspired a historic fashion trend.
An unusual fact about wasps is their inspiration for a popular Victorian woman’s fashion trend that involved severely cinched waists, similar to the body shape of a wasp. A woman achieved a “wasp waist” by tightly lacing a restrictive corset to have an extremely narrow waist compared to the proportions of their bust and hips. Some doctors warned against this practice because it could potentially damage the wearer’s lungs, stomach, and rib cage.
Wasp Removal in Las Vegas
While we find wasps fascinating, we understand their potential threat to you and your loved ones. Our team at Bee Master of Las Vegas can safely remove wasps and repair damage they may have caused to your home so you can enjoy your patio wasp-free. Contact us for a free quote!