Learn the truth about whether wasps make honey and discover the fascinating world of these carnivorous insects. Find out more here!
Wasps are a group of insects classified within the order Hymenoptera, which also includes bees and ants. Depending on the species, wasps can have eusocial behaviors, like bees, or they can be solitary. Although most species do not have an important role as pollinators, some wasps do fulfill this function, in addition to being part of the trophic networks of the ecosystems where they live.
Honey bees are world renowned for their honey-producing abilities, but what about wasps? Do they also make honey? The truth is that there is a very small group of wasps that do make honey, those belonging to the Brachygastra genus. Keep reading this ExpertAnimal article, where we explain which wasps make honey and how .
Do Wasps Make Honey
Honey is a product made by processing the nectar obtained from flowers, whose main function is to feed bees during times when flowers are scarce due to environmental conditions. In this way, bees such as Apis mellifera are highly productive in the production of honey, which is used globally for consumption.
Most species of wasps do not produce honey , although many also feed on flower nectar. However, a few species are honey producers. Such is the case of a group known as honey wasps of the genus Brachygastra , which are native to America and range mainly from Mexico to the center and south of the continent.
However, wasps of the Brachygastra genus are not large honey producers in terms of quantity, compared to honey bees. In addition, some of the plants from which these wasps collect nectar are poisonous, so their honey can be toxic . Additionally, wasps of this genus are reported to be aggressive and their sting is painful, which also limits the obtaining of their honey.
Which wasps make honey and how?
A characteristic of honey wasps is that they have social habits with a hierarchical structure; in contrast, solitary wasps do not produce honey. Therefore, honey wasps perform a process similar to that of honey bees :
- They collect nectar from different flowers.
- They consume some of it, but another part is stored in a special craw used only for this substance.
- After accumulating enough nectar, they return to the nest and regurgitate the nectar, which is taken by worker wasps that also carry the substance to their nectar crops and mix it with some enzymes that help form honey.
- The processed nectar is stored and, as it loses moisture, it actually becomes honey, that viscous substance that we know.
Species of wasps that make honey
There are few species of honey-producing wasps, the most representative being the following:
- Mexican honey wasp ( Brachygastra mellifica).
- Black wasp ( Polybia occidentalis).
Why don’t wasps make honey?
The main reason why most wasps do not produce honey is because of their feeding habits . Honey bees produce honey as a way to store food long-term when flowers are scarce, as they have no other food source other than nectar and pollen from flowers, which are their sources of carbohydrates and protein.
Unlike bees, most wasps are predators or scavengers . Although some feed on nectar, fruits and other plant sources in their adult stage, during their larval phase they consume animals provided by their mother. In this sense, having an omnivorous diet, therefore more varied, they do not depend on the production and storage of a product such as honey. In this other post we explain ” What do wasps eat “.
There is also a difference in the type of colony in which these insects are organized. Bees have more stable colonies and usually with a larger number of individuals, so they need to store food such as honey. Wasps, on the other hand, tend to have seasonal colonies with fewer individuals and with more food available throughout the seasons. In addition, there are species of wasps with solitary habits.
Do wasps make hives?
The term hive is more closely related to the structures where bees live; it is the breeding and storage place for the honey they produce. Wasps do not make hives in this sense, but they do build nests , which vary depending on the type or species of wasp.
In this context, wasps make various types of nests that vary in structure and material. Some examples are:
- Plant fiber nests: known as paper nests, they are made from materials such as wood processed by wasps; these nests are usually not very hard.
- Mud or clay nests: they have a sandy texture.
- Honeycomb nests: may or may not be covered by a protective external structure and are made of plant fiber.
- Individual and underground nests.
Wasp nests are mostly seasonal and are built for breeding larvae during a growing season. Then, when the colony has developed, the nests are usually left empty and are not reused. Discover all the types here: ” Types of wasp nests “.
What do wasps do?
Although wasps are not recognized as honey producers, they have an important role within ecosystems:
- They are biological pest controllers. Many species of predatory wasps hunt and feed on other insects that are crop pests, such as caterpillars and aphids. This can be useful because, in addition to minimizing the populations of these pests, the use of agrochemicals is reduced. In some cases, wasps do not directly consume the hunted insects. Instead, they catch and immobilize them and take them to their nests to be parasitized by the eggs and then by the larvae, which use them as a food source.
- Certain species of wasps are plant pollinators, although not as efficient and widespread as bees. When they visit flowers to obtain their nectar, they transfer pollen from one flower to another, which benefits both natural ecosystems and, in some cases, crops.
- They are also a source of food for other animals, such as birds, mammals, spiders and even other insects. In this way, they form part of the food chains that are essential for the balance of ecosystems.