Mail Online

YES, NASTY WASPS ARE REALLY THE GOOD GUYS!

JUNE and July are when wasp nests are at their busiest and the little predators emerge with but one goal in mind: to sting me.

But Seirian Sumner, a professor of behavioural ecology at University College London, thinks they’re unfairly demonised and that ‘wasps could be as valuable as other beloved insects such as bees, if only we gave them more of a chance’.

In a recent paper she and her colleagues point out that wasps kill aphids and caterpillars that damage crops. And, like bees, they pollinate plants, with some completely dependent on wasps for this — indeed one orchid species has evolved parts that mimic the back end of a female wasp, presumably to attract more of the fellas.

On top of that, wasp venom has antibiotic properties and venom from the yellowjacket wasp has shown promise in treating cancer. I’ll try to keep those good things in mind the next time I’m tempted to swat them with a newspaper . . .

Dr Michael Mosley

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2021-06-12T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-12T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://mailonline.pressreader.com/article/282488596672740

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