The Wasp Thing

I have been rethinking the wasp thing. You know, that thing where I curse at wasps and try to swat them. Turns out not all wasps are dirty lowdown, food-stealing, stinging bastards. There are wasps out there doing good work.

While out busting up a couple of tent caterpillar nests in one of my chokecherry trees, I observed a dark-colored wasp hunting the caterpillars right alongside me. And, of course, there are wasps that prey on spiders, something I fully endorse. Finally, we have huckleberries.

Huckleberries are weird. First, they only grow in beautiful settings. Secondly, their blossoms hang down very much like tiny bells. That’s a problem. The orientation and shape of huckleberry blossoms exclude many species of insects, honeybees included, from being able to use the flower and, in turn, act as a pollinator. A study conducted by researchers from Montana State University documented insects visiting globe huckleberry flowers in May and June. Approximately 47% of the visitors were bumblebees, which can access the goodies (pollen) in the flowers through buzz pollination. Wasps accounted for 23% of the visitors.

That’s correct – we need to thank wasps as we harvest our huckleberries. Well, that’s a game-changer for me.

A Pair of Huckleberry Blossoms

—Mitchell Hegman