It's officially springtime, and many insects are emerging from their winter dormancy. That includes the often-feared wasp.
"I always celebrate [seeing] a lot of wasps because their general food source is insects, and that usually means there's a healthy insect population to support them," said Missouri Botanical Garden senior entomologist Tad Yankoski. "They will eat things like caterpillars that are on plants, and that creates a natural balance so that the plants can continue to grow [and] don't get overwhelmed."
Wasps are close relatives to bees, and they pollinate plants in a similar fashion.
"But wasps are a little bit, we'll say, more specialized in what they do," Yankoski said, referring to the fact that wasps are natural predators, while most bees feed on pollen and nectar.
Also, most wasps are solitary, he added. "They live by themselves for the most part, whereas a lot of the bees that we're familiar with, at least with honey bees or bumblebees, live in colonies."
As temperatures warm in the spring, wasps begin to search for a place to build their nests. The cracks and crevices in buildings tend to draw wasps into people's homes.
"They end up inside by mistake. They don't really want to be there," said Yankoski. "Unfortunately, buildings with eaves are a really well-protected spot — they're often up above the ground where they can stay away from predators. They can scope out the area. They're protected from the elements."
Yankoski advised that people remove wasps humanely — and carefully. He typically captures them with a glass and then slides a piece of paper or cardboard underneath to transport them back outside.
The most commonly encountered wasp in the Midwest is the paper wasp. Fertilized female paper wasps often create small nests in doorways and under eaves. Yankoski advised checking such places regularly and knocking down nests with a broom before they get too large.
"When it's the size of a dime or a quarter, the foundress will then usually pick a different spot," he said.
Yankoski understands why wasps are often considered a nuisance, though he hopes that with education comes a better understanding and appreciation for their species and their role in our ecosystems.
"I try to encourage wasp love. I think they generally get a bad reputation," he said. "If we can leave them alone, most will leave you alone."
In this episode of "St. Louis on the Air," Tad Yankoski also shares insight on other insects you're likely to see this time of year, including ticks, ladybugs, bees and stink bugs. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
"St. Louis on the Air" brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Layla Halilbasic is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
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