Don’t hate wasps—they’re useful in the yard, says expert (and offers tips on how to lure them away from the patio)

“I believe wasps also have their place in the garden, even though they’re more notorious than other buzzing insects. From a gardener’s perspective, their most important role is likely pest control, because they collect plenty of protein-rich food—various insects and their larvae—from the yard all summer to feed their offspring. At the same time, wasps themselves are valuable nourishment for other garden creatures. Along with bumblebees, they’re a main food source for honey buzzards, but even small birds like tits enjoy them. Many mammals also find wasps and their larvae appealing.

In pollination, wasps are also a big help. When adult worker wasps visit flowers to sip sweet nectar, pollen sticks to their hair. It’s known that for some wild plants, like the protected broad-leaved helleborine, wasps can be their most vital pollinators, but there isn’t much data yet on garden plants. Overall, wasps have been researched surprisingly little.

You can definitely coexist with wasps. Even near their nest, you can move around as long as you don’t knock it or otherwise disturb them. If the nest is in a truly impossible spot, it’s best to remove it right away. That way, you’ll destroy the fewest wasps—just the queen and possibly a few workers.

In Finland, a wasp nest can survive well into November. Especially toward the end of summer, wasps are often seen as feisty. At that point, their nest is crowded with larvae that need feeding, and the workers are in a hurry to gather enough protein-rich nourishment for everyone. Meanwhile, they crave sugary snacks from apples and berries in the yard. I’ve noticed that wasps learn fast. I can dine on the patio in peace if I guide them elsewhere with scraps of meat or fish and sugar water.”

University lecturer in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Jyväskylä, Atte Komonen