General Chat

Yes me too but the diet bit was interesting. I have not seen them eat meat either.

Didn't know they eat ham :-S

Putting a sweet offering away from people is something we have always done though.

The wasps that usually visit your picnic are typically the common yellowjacket and the German wasp, she said.
They will be worker wasps, who are always female, and will be looking for food to feed their sibling larvae.
The best way to keep them from bothering you is to provide a 'wasp offering', Professor Sumner explained.
'Is she carving off a lump of ham, gathering a dollop or jam or slurping at your sugary drink?' she said.
'Watch what she is eating because this gives you a clue to what your wasp offering will be.'
Your offering should be a portion of whatever she harvested from your plate, and it can be moved slightly away from the rest of your food.
'If you let her have her share, you too can dine in peace,' Professor Sumner explained.
'You can gradually move your wasp offering further away from you.'
Keeping an eye on the wasps' feeding habits can also help you work out what is going on inside her colony.
If the wasp wants ham, or some other kind of protein, you know her colony is full of hungry larvae, Dr Sumner said.
This usually occurs around mid-to-late August.
Meanwhile if the wasp is fixated on sugar at the table, such as jam or fizzy drinks, you know her colony is likely to be in its 'twilight' phase of life.
'A lot of us have been taught to fear wasps as aggressive insects that exist only to make our lives a misery,' Professor Sumner said.
'But with unsustainable wildlife loss across the planet, we need to learn to live alongside all organisms – even wasps. They are important pollinators and predators of insects.
'A little knowledge about their natural history can help you dine safely alongside wasps.'