When it comes to flying insects, bees get all of the attention and affection because of their helpful status as pollinators and their honey production. The other common flying insect, the wasp, isn’t as appreciated. Although wasps can be a nuisance and some do produce a painful sting, there are some benefits to having wasps in the ecosystem. At Truly Nolen, we provide wasp removal in Burlington when they are impacting your property and safety. Check out these three reasons why wasps can be beneficial to the environment.
1. Contributing to Biodiversity
The top reason that wasps are beneficial to the environment concerns biodiversity. There are more than 100,000 types of wasps on the planet. Each species of wasp has a role in the world’s ecosystem. Even though most species of wasps sting, their presence in the ecosystem is necessary for various reasons.
Some species of wasps are social creatures and are part of a colony of other wasps in a large nest with a queen. These groups of wasps work together to help bring balance to the ecosystem. There are also species of wasps that are solitary creatures and build nests underground. These species of wasps are not aggressive and typically try to avoid people.
2. Eliminating Other Pests
The next way that we benefit from having wasps in the world is that they help reduce the population of other pests. Wasps help control the population of other insects, such as spiders, caterpillars, anthropods, mites and centipedes. They ingest these bugs to help keep their numbers down and prevent them from being a nuisance to humans and other animals. They also keep the world’s insect population in balance compared to the rest of the ecosystem.
The wasp’s pest control properties are also extremely beneficial to the agricultural industry. Some species of wasps help eliminate insects that target crops, so farmers should be grateful for their wasp population. There are campaigns in some parts of the world that are aiming to increase predatory wasp populations to help with sustainable pest control instead of covering crops with harmful pesticides and other chemicals.
3. Pollinating Specific Plantlife
The third way that wasps are helpful to the world is through pollination. The most prolific pollinators are bees, but a few species of wasps also contribute to some pollination. Wasps pollinate specific types of plants instead of all flowering buds and crops. Their specialty pollinating characteristics help some types of flowers, plants, fruits and crops thrive.
The top type of wasp pollinator is the fig wasp. Fig wasps are responsible for pollinating this species of fruit and making sure it consistently produces crops each year. Besides figs, wasps are also known to help with the pollination of the orchid flower. Some types of orchids attract wasps using nectar, visual deception or traps. Certain species of wasps may be lured into the flower and help assist with pollination. The flowers may trick wasps into thinking the petals are a female wasp and have the male inadvertently pollinate it due to the visual deception.
Wasp Removal in Burlington for Homeowners
Despite their benefits to the world, wasps can also be a nuisance in your backyard. If you have a wasp nest on your property, you should not attempt to remove it yourself. Have a seasoned pro like Truly Nolen safely remove the nest so you and your family can enjoy your backyard again.
Wasps provide the world with multiple benefits, even though their presence can be a problem in your yard. If your property is inundated with too many wasps, contact the technicians at Truly Nolen to help with wasp removal and give you some peace of mind.