What are wasps good for in the environment?

Question

They are pests and danger my family. We have not had wasps in 6 years and out of nowhere they start nesting everywhere around my house.

Answer 1

i don't know what the purpose of wasps are but they are annoying little stingers! kill them all! i hate wasps

Answer 2

They keep the population of the tarantula in check.  If you don't have a tarantula problem where you live, then definitely, you should get busy smashing those suckers!

Answer 3

Food for other animals like various species of birds like blackbirds, magpies, starlings, insects like dragonflies, robber flies, hornets, centipedes, and spiders,skunks, bears, badgers, bats, weasels, wolverines, rats, mice.

Predators of spiders, caterpillars, ants, bees, and flies.

Pollinators of plants.

Some wasps are scavengers.

So these are an important link in food chain. And anything which is a part of food chain is important for the environment as well.

Yes at times they are pests so what you can do is follow the below mentioned steps -

Prevention

Seal entry points. Solitary wasps in the home can be a nuisance; daily sightings of wasps in the home may indicate inside nest building, and more attention to the problem is required. Searching for and sealing off their point of entry is the best line of defense. Check your house for unsealed vents, torn screens, cracks around windows and door frames and open dampers. Observe the flight path of a wasp, especially in the morning, which may reveal the entry/exit point.

Remove food sources. In spring and early summer, wasps are attracted to protein foods. Any food left outdoors, such as pet food, picnic scraps, open garbage containers or uncovered compost piles should be removed or covered. Wasps imprint food sources, and will continue to search an area for some time after the food has been removed.

In late summer and early fall, the wasp food preference turns to the sweet. Their behavior is also more aggressive. Open cans of pop, fruit juice, fallen apples beneath fruit trees and other sweet food sources will attract wasps. Be sure to cover drinks and open food containers, keep a lid on the compost and avoid walking barefoot near fruit trees. Remove any fallen fruit rotting on the ground.

Avoid swatting. Swatting and squashing wasps is counterproductive. When a wasp is squashed, a chemical (pheromone) is released which attracts and incites other nearby wasps. It's best to walk away from a hovering wasp.

Avoid wearing bright colours or floral patterns. If you look like a big flower, you may be attracting the curious wasp looking for nectar.

Minimize use of perfumes and other strong scents. In the later part of the summer, wasps are attracted to sweet smells.

Wasps building nests in your bird house? This common problem can be minimized by lining the under-roof area with aluminum foil. Use a staple gun to attach. Another option is to rub the under-roof area liberally with bar soap - ordinary soap like Ivory soap will do. One application can last through an annual wasp season.

Source - http://www.eartheasy.com/live_natwasp_co...

Answer 4

Wasps are predators, they keep in check many insect populations that can cause damage.

Answer 5

I think not positive but i think they eat mosquito's  

Answer 6

THey are carnivores and the eat other pests.

Answer 7

pollenating your food

Answer 8

They're not good for anything except stinging people.  Kill them all ha ha

Answer 9

What kind of wasps do you have?

Paper wasps eat caterpillars and insects and so are mostly beneficial to humans.

Mud dauber wasps eat pest insects and spiders, and rarely sting.

Yellow jacket wasps live in large colonies.  They eat insects, which is beneficial, but they may do enough stinging to become a nuisance.  And they are attracted to people's picnic and barbecue foods, both meat and sweet.  They also bite, which is not so painful.  

Hornets also live in colonies and eat insects, and can be aggressive, but they generally leave the barbecue alone.

You may be able to discourage your wasps by eliminating their prey species.

Answer 10

They are predators of pest insects, for one thing. They are attracted to man made objects for nesting. Eaves of houses, under tool sheds, attics walls etc.

My wife was stung recently by as many as 15 of them, when she attempted to trim some honey suckle.

Several times in my life, I was stung in or near honey suckle. If you have any, either get rid of it,or spay it with wasp and hornet killer several times a season.