Wasps
"Let each person drive away his own wasps."
-Japanese Proverb
-Japanese Proverb
introduction
California has over 4,000 species of wasps. These insects are found in most environments worldwide except for the polar regions. Most species are solitary insects, though some do form nests with other members of their species. They can be predators, or pollinators, and create interesting structures in which to house their developing young. Some wasps will form the quintessential wasp nests, hanging from the eaves of buildings and seemingly made out of paper mache. Others create structures called galls, which are housed on leaves or branches of trees. These galls come in many shapes and colors, as seen here:
A California Gall Wasp gall.
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Spined Turban Gall Wasp galls.
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A Disc Gall Wasp gall.
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Red Cone Gall Wasp gall.
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Sometimes, the only indicator that you have wasps in your yard are the homes they make for their next generation. The larvae will feed themselves with the nutritive tissues of the gall as they develop, and when they emerge, these galls dry up and for the most part turn brown.
Species of wasps
This species list includes wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets. They have evolved alongside many trees and other plants, and are commonly named for the plant they have developed their evolutionary relationship with. The list below includes some of the more commonly found wasps in California.
California Gall Wasp
Andricus quercuscalifornicus |
Western Yellowjacket
Vespula pensylvanica |
European Paper Wasp
Polistes dominula |
Yellow-Legged Mud Dauber
Sceliphron caementarium |
Red Cone Gall Wasp
Andricus kingi |
Guinea Paper Wasp
Polistes exclamans |
Spined Turban Gall Wasp
Cynips douglasii |
Live Oak Apple Gall Wasp
Amphibolips auercuspomiformis |
Golden Paper Wasp
Polistes aurifer |
Beaked Twig Gall Wasp
Burnettweldia plumbella |
Pumpkin Gall Wasp
Dryocosmus minusculus |
American Sand Wasp
Bembix americana |
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Sphex ichneumoneus |
Disc Gall Wasp
Andricus parmula |
Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp
Pepsis thisbe |
Convoluted Gall Wasp
Andricus confertus |
Gouty Stem Gall Wasp
Callirhytis quercussuttoni |
Crystalline Gall Wasp
Andricus crystallinus |
Yellow Wig Gall Wasp
Andricus fullawayi |
Toltec Scoliid Wasp
Dielis tolteca |
Saucer Gall Wasp
Andricus gigas |
Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp
Diplolepis polita |
Honeydew Gall Wasp
Disholcaspis eldoradensis |
Urchin Gall Wasp
Cynips quercusechinus |
Beaked Spindle Gall Wasp
Heteroecus pacificus |
Two-Horned Gall Wasp
Dryocosmus dubiosus |
Alaska Yellowjacket
Vespula alascensis |
Western Paper Wasp
Mischocyttarus flavitarsis |
Milde's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp
Pepsis mildei |
Steel Blue Cricket Hunter Wasp
Chlorion aerarium |
European Hornet
Vespa crabro |
Bald-Faced Hornet
Dolichovespula maculata |
wasps in the garden
This group of insects have many different qualities. In finding and identifying them in your yard, a simple differentiation is that wasps have slender bodies and long legs, while jackets and hornets do not. The most common wasp found in urban and suburban areas is the paper wasp, which forms a hanging nest using materials found around the yard. California Yellowjackets are also very common. They form nests in the ground, but occasionally will find a good spot in a crawlspace or wall void. They forage for food, and are attracted to meats, sugary sodas, juices, and desserts. Wasps and jackets will follow food sources. They may have a larger presence in your yard while caterpillars and other larvae are abundant in the spring and summer, and are attracted by outdoor barbecues. The best thing a gardener can do for these species is to not disturb their nests. This is difficult if there are pets or children who do not know to keep their distance. If wasps become too much of a problem, their population can be controlled using sprays and other tactics. Finding the nest in your yard should be your first priority, regardless of what you plan to do when you find it, so that it can be marked and avoided.
Wasps spend most of the spring and summertime seeking out garden insects that we consider pests, including aphids, flies, and hungry caterpillars. If you'd like to draw these insects to your garden for their pest-fighting attributes, there are a few guidelines to follow. The queens of hives will hibernate over the winter, the last citizens of their tribe that survive the cooler temperatures. These queens will be in search of a place to create a new nest once the weather warms, which can either be in the ground or under eaves or other protected areas higher up. As far as their food source is concerned, they are carnivorous as well as nectar-feeding. There are some plants that have developed extrafloral nectaries (nectar-producing organs that are not part of the flower, but instead are located on or near leaf petioles). These plants are wonderful selections for enhancing a wasp habitat.
Wasps spend most of the spring and summertime seeking out garden insects that we consider pests, including aphids, flies, and hungry caterpillars. If you'd like to draw these insects to your garden for their pest-fighting attributes, there are a few guidelines to follow. The queens of hives will hibernate over the winter, the last citizens of their tribe that survive the cooler temperatures. These queens will be in search of a place to create a new nest once the weather warms, which can either be in the ground or under eaves or other protected areas higher up. As far as their food source is concerned, they are carnivorous as well as nectar-feeding. There are some plants that have developed extrafloral nectaries (nectar-producing organs that are not part of the flower, but instead are located on or near leaf petioles). These plants are wonderful selections for enhancing a wasp habitat.
