The Wonder of Wasps

That seems like a silly title. People do not like wasps. At an outdoor event at a picnic, you have to be careful that you do not get one of the critters in your mouth when you sip your soft drink, and they come around when you are trying to just do things. They sting, it hurts, and many can come back and sting again (although it's the females that sting, the males just pretend). Helpful hint: don't be standing behind a horse when it gets stung on the rump. We don't want them around, and we don't want to make them angry so they go on the attack. Surprisingly, they do fulfill several purposes that their Creator intended.

Can English-speaking people say "wasps' nests" comfortably? Not me. I slur it into "wassness".

European wasp image credit: CSIRO (CC BY 3.0)
(Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents)

Wasps help keep the population of pest insects down, and some are actually "farmed" to be released in gardens this purpose. Reduces the need for pesticides, too. Some wasps have a surprising symbiotic relationship with certain fig trees. There is also hope that the venom of wasps can be used for the treatment of cancer! Evolutionists and creationists agree that the stinging mechanism was probably used for egg laying way back when, although creationists have some speculations about venom and the Fall.

Most people have an aversion to wasps, and a paper nest built on a structure can be a major nuisance. In addition, many people are allergic to wasp stings, making them especially dangerous to those individuals. Many people can see how their ‘cousins’, bees, have a useful role in the ecosystem, but struggle to think of why God would create such a pest as the wasp. In fact, they have important ecological roles to play. 

. . . only about 1,000 species of wasp are social and form colonies. The largest (and one of the most dangerous) is the Asian giant hornet, 5 cm (2 in) long. The others are solitary wasps; some species simply find an existing hole such as those created by wood boring beetles, or they build or dig their own nest.

To read the rest, fly on over to "Wasps: Nature’s pest control". You may also like to read "Parasite Wasps and Venom Origins".




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