What is the point of wasps? I’ve lost count of how many times I've heard that question or some version of it. It’s quickly followed by my own sense of being irked by the unwitting injustice of the question itself. And then ensues my tirade of pro-wasp propaganda. So here goes . . .

There have been wasps on the planet for over 200 million years and there are more than 100,000 species worldwide. They have a wide range of life strategies. Some of them are solitary while others are social. Many are predatory, while others trigger some of the abnormal growths known as galls on plants. There are pollinators, a lot of parasitoids (their larvae eat their hosts alive) and more. There are thousands that don’t sting humans.

When most people in the British Isles refer to wasps they are usually talking about the much maligned common and German wasps (Vespula vulgaris and V. germanica). The ones that are known to disrupt picnics and sometimes land on your ice cream.

Before you dismiss what follows as the rantings of naive wasp hugger, I've had my fair share of stings. I remember the red hot needle sensation of my first sting as kid, when I put my hand on one while waiting at a North London bus stop. When working in North Wales I ran a strimmer over the top of a nest, and their response was quick and fierce. On another occasion, while helping with some botanical research in British Columbia I crawled over a nest as I scrambled up a very steep slope through a forest. I went from crawl to Usain Bolt mode in the blink of an eye.

So yes, they will defend their own lives and that of their young. Who can blame them? It’s pretty rare for them to sting unprovoked, and besides, they’ve taught me to be more alert. Yes, there is a potential hazard and some nests may need to be removed if they are in a place where they could pose a high risk, but these cases are few and far between.

Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) on the flowers of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare). Photo by Alan Watson Featherstone www.alanwatsonfeatherstone.com — Common wasp *(Vespula vulgaris)* on the flowers of tansy *(Tanacetum vulgare).* Photo by Alan Watson Featherstone **www.alanwatsonfeatherstone.com**

Wasps are the gardener’s and the farmer’s friend, and the friend of anyone who eats farmed food. They are voracious predators of the pests (such as aphids) that damage crops and in Britain catch thousands of tonnes of caterpillars and other invertebrates every year. They don't eat these themselves but feed them to their protein-hungry larvae. The workers just need carbs to keep going so the grubs provide them with a sugary sweet substance. However, in mid to late summer the number of grubs declines and the workers are left high and dry. This is when they seek out sweet things and take more of an interest in our food. They’re not the malevolent villains they are often made out to be; they’re simply trying to survive.

Wasps are also valuable pollinators. Bees (which have descended from wasps, I should add) receive a huge amount of attention for their pollination services, and rightly so. But we seem to find it easier to love the fluffy bumblebee than we do a menacing looking wasp. But look again. Wasps are actually sleek, stylish and very cool, like Trinity from The Matrix but with yellow stripes. And they rarely receive any credit for all that pollinating.

Common wasp on its nest. Photo by Alan Watson Featherstone www.alanwatsonfeatherstone.com — Common wasp on its nest. Photo by Alan Watson Featherstone **www.alanwatsonfeatherstone.com**

They are also recyclers. I’ve watched them chewing on dead wood (to make their nests), animal droppings and carrion. Without wasps and many other unsung wild heroes cut out for the task (such as fungi), we’d be knee deep in stuff we would rather not be knee deep in.

You can be forgiven for thinking that wasps wouldn't make much of a meal for anything. In fact their delicious, juicy-sweet, protein-rich grubs are a hit with badgers. In late summer I often find wasp nests in the ground that have been opened up these tough mammals, and pine martens sometimes do the same. The honey buzzard, a rare migratory bird of prey, actually specialises in eating wasp grubs.

I could go on, but hopefully you get my point. Wasps do us a lot of favours without even knowing it, and play a key role in our ecosystems. Like many other insects, wasps are actually in alarming decline, so maybe we should cut them some slack!