![]() ![]() Social wasps like yellow jackets are the minority, however they still play a large role in consuming prey to bring back to their young. It is believed that wasps account for around 50 percent of all insect-on-insect predation. Like bees, this makes the majority of wasps very docile, and they are much more likely to run than try to put up a fight. Wasps have an incredibly long and varied lineage, and the vast majority of them are solitary, living alone and doing their hunting solo. This is because wasps are everywhere, in every niche, in every biome. The first predator you’re likely to encounter in and around your garden is a wasp. ![]() If allowed to flourish, they are able to control most pest outbreaks all on their own. The wasps, beetles, mantids, dragonflies, and other tiny stalkers in our landscapes strike fear into every sap sucker and leaf eater they set their eyes on, and for good reason. For every pest on your plants, there are probably at least dozens of predators that specialize in putting it down. ![]() The insect predators in our backyards are ancient killers, having honed their skills for hundreds of millions of years. From among the skies and shadows, finely-tuned assassins leap to their tasks. What was once a glorious party enviable to even the most pompous emperor quickly turns into something more akin to shooting fish in a barrel. As the chaos reaches its height, it begins to attract outside attention. Luckily, in a healthy ecosystem, this cycle does not continue. Soon after, groups of ruffians take to the foliage, munching in a day what took your garden weeks to grow. It isn’t long before herds of aphids are clinging to your prized tender shoots. While gardens are in many respects a reflection of their gardener, they are in no way cut off from the surrounding environment. If there is a water source nearby, dragonflies will be found in the air or perched waiting for a passing meal. ![]()
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