British Beekeepers Association Official Forum
wasps
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I have no idea how they pass the information to each other but by the amounts of wasps that slowly turn up to vulnerables boxes of bees, it must be done some how.
Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Not really, there is very little evidence in wasps for recruitment of nest mates to food sources. Although a wasp finding a rich source gets quite excited on returning to nest and this has an effect of stimulating nest mates go out searching. But is mainly random searching or following scent trails or even seeing lots of wasp together.
It's easily tested...put some sweet food source outside and see who gets their mob handed first...the bees win every time.
It's easily tested...put some sweet food source outside and see who gets their mob handed first...the bees win every time.
Being social insects it is hard to believe there isn't some complex communication going on this article looks at some ideas.
https://phys.org/news/2018-05-wasps-food-nearby.html
The problem is that along with most organisms considered minor pests they don't have much research devoted to them. It's unfortunate because their role in any ecosystem is probably very important. I have noticed that wasps patrol around under my tree bee boxes removing all dead or dying bees leaving the area absolutely spotless.
https://phys.org/news/2018-05-wasps-food-nearby.html
The problem is that along with most organisms considered minor pests they don't have much research devoted to them. It's unfortunate because their role in any ecosystem is probably very important. I have noticed that wasps patrol around under my tree bee boxes removing all dead or dying bees leaving the area absolutely spotless.
They must use some sort of comms but not as sophisticated as Honey bees.
This is easy to see as NigelP has eluded to this as well, I leave my extractor and empty but wet uncapping's bowl on the patio for washing out. Prior to washing I leave out on a nice day for the bees to mop up all honey residue and they turn up mob handed and out number wasps by a huge factor, even wasps like a free meal, honeybees number in the 100's, wasps < 15 and bumbles < 5 are the numbers I roughly see.
This is easy to see as NigelP has eluded to this as well, I leave my extractor and empty but wet uncapping's bowl on the patio for washing out. Prior to washing I leave out on a nice day for the bees to mop up all honey residue and they turn up mob handed and out number wasps by a huge factor, even wasps like a free meal, honeybees number in the 100's, wasps < 15 and bumbles < 5 are the numbers I roughly see.
Bearing in mind wasps are only really on the search for the sweet stuff right at the end of their season and the rest of the time they are majoring on collecting variably mobile insects to feed larvae, the benefit of locating and communicating a particularly rich food source that stays still and keeps producing is maybe less useful.
Also most wasp species forage within relatively close proximity to their nest site, whereas bees are capable of foraging over an area of dozen square miles or more in every direction so there is probably a much clearer benefit of accurately letting your sisters know if you have found an abundant reliable source of high sugar concentration nectar out in the middle of nowhere.
Also most wasp species forage within relatively close proximity to their nest site, whereas bees are capable of foraging over an area of dozen square miles or more in every direction so there is probably a much clearer benefit of accurately letting your sisters know if you have found an abundant reliable source of high sugar concentration nectar out in the middle of nowhere.
I would agree with Patrick on this one if you look at some of the meat trap videos on youtube then I think there would be a change of mind on this one. If offered the correct source of sustenance at the correct time of year then you'll get a lot of them.
Whilst scientists have looked long and hard there is little communication regarding direction and distances of food supplies among wasps. One of the only groups of social insects to not do so.
There is a a paper or two showing weak recruitment, but this is very low.
If you want to see how effective their communication is, go stick an old comb with some honey in your back garden. Bet you within less than 1 hour it will be covered in bees with very few wasps present. The number of wasps will grow slowly with time as more wasps randomly searching for food will come across it.
The booming is simply to alert wasp to an available food source which elicits more wasp searching for food. Although this has been known for a long time, the connection with the noise had not been made before.
There is a a paper or two showing weak recruitment, but this is very low.
If you want to see how effective their communication is, go stick an old comb with some honey in your back garden. Bet you within less than 1 hour it will be covered in bees with very few wasps present. The number of wasps will grow slowly with time as more wasps randomly searching for food will come across it.
The booming is simply to alert wasp to an available food source which elicits more wasp searching for food. Although this has been known for a long time, the connection with the noise had not been made before.