Hive insects, such as ants, termites and bees all have queens, which are females tasked with the reproduction of the species. But what about wasps? Do they have queens?
Wasps can in fact have queens just like bees, since the two insects are similar, belonging to a group that is called Hymenoptera. However, not all wasps species form their colonies around a queen. Some species will, while some do not. In fact, the same is true for bees. Not all bee species will have a colony that revolves around a queen.
Wasp and bees are known as social insects, and they can live in colonies that range from 100 to 50,000 members, all of which work together to ensure that the species continues. Some members of these groups will lay the eggs – the queens. Others will be workers who will build the nest, watch over the eggs, and find food which includes nectar and meat/insects in the case of wasps.
The most common wasp species in the US that we have to deal with are all social insects. These species are yellowjackets, hornets and paper wasps. However, the majority of wasps species are solitary and they are not even able to sting. These are known as parasitic wasps, as opposed to their stinging counterparts, which are known as hunting wasps. What’s even more interesting is that bees are descendants of wasps that have given up hunting but have retained their sting.
Wasps are also a useful addition to our environment. They pollinate numerous species of plants, and scavenge meat and fermenting fruits. They also keep ecosystems in check by hunting plant-eating insects that can destroy entire crops if they get out of control. In fact, wasps are so effective at hunting these insects that they are often used as an alternative to pesticides when it comes to pest control during farming operations.
When dealing with wasps on your property however, it’s important to remove them right away since they will attack in swarms if they feel that their nest is threatened. A pet or a child might run into the nest and inadvertently rattle the wasps triggering an attack. You might also accidently agitate them and suddenly find yourself in a world of trouble. On top of that, who wants to deal with wasps buzzing around all the time. If you currently have a wasp infestation on your property, contact us right away and we will help you remove it.