What wasps can do in the garden
Bees currently enjoy privileged attention and are therefore doing better than ever with many. In political elections, bee protection measures are advertised, there are bee willow-flower seed mixtures in every supermarket and the guild of hobby beekeepers is bigger than ever. Wasps, on the other hand, continue to have a reputation for being bothersome and dangerous. They do a lot of valuable things for the biological balance that can only benefit a private garden. For example:
- Pollination
- Pest extermination
- Secondary expansion of biodiversity (birds)
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So if you enjoy a colorful blooming garden, rely on natural pest control and many other beneficial insects, For example, if you want to attract pep-eating birds like the red-backed killer or the honey buzzard, you would do well to welcome wasps mean.
How to attract and care for wasps
The solitary wasps in particular can be of valuable service to a hobby gardener and, due to their loneliness, also harbor less potential for disturbance and danger. In order to lure the animals, also known as clay wasps because of their brood cell structure, into the garden, the following measures are recommended:
- Set up suitable nesting aids
- Cultivate sphecophilic (wasp-adapted) plants
- General gardening close to nature
You can easily set up suitable nesting aids for solitary wasps yourself. The most suitable are tree grates made of hardwood with neatly drilled, not too large holes. This offers the animals a protective, narrow channel for the brood cells that does not injure their sensitive wings. Wasps also gladly accept hollow plant stems (especially blackberry stalks containing pith) or holes in fired clay. What is not suitable at all are perforated bricks. The holes in it are way too big for wasps and wild bees.
It is also wasp-friendly to have so-called sphecophilic plants in the garden. With their flower shape, these have specifically specialized in wasps as pollinators. These include, above all, ivy, sand thyme, and brown and ragweed. The wasps can use their mouthparts to get at the pollen more easily from their often funnel-shaped flowers.
In general, it is of course beneficial if you design your garden as natural as possible and as rich in species as possible. In this way, other beneficial insects and plants are offered a good habitat and the micro-ecosystem itself is more stable.
