Did you know that wasps (which we often call “bugs”) are just as important as bees (which we do appropriately call “insects”)? They have the same level of relevance for the pollination of our crops, according to the scientists who believe that wasps need a good marketing campaign to modify that bad image we have of them, which, apparently, is completely wrong.
And it is that most of us have a certain weakness for bees. We think about how important they are to pollinate flowers and crops and to provide us with honey. We worry that they are disappearing and we wonder what we can do to save them.
But when it comes to wasps, our emotions are usually a lot less warm and fuzzy, to put it mildly. These insects are “universally despised,” according to new research, and it’s mainly because their role in the environment is poorly understood.
Like bees, wasps also pollinate flowers and crops. They also help regulate crop pests and insects that carry diseases that affect humans.
“It is clear that we have a very different emotional connection with wasps than with bees; we have lived in harmony with bees for a long time, domesticating some species, but the interactions between the wasp and the human being are often unpleasant, since they spoil the snacks in the field or garden and nest in our homes, “says Seirian Sumner, University College London, co-author of the work published in the journal Ecological Entomology.
“Despite this, we need to actively review the negative image of wasps to protect the ecological benefits they bring to our planet. Wasps are facing a decline similar to that of bees and that is something the world cannot afford. “Summer continues.
What to do to help the wasps?
For the study, the researchers surveyed 748 people from 46 countries about their perceptions of insects, including bees and wasps.
They asked the participants to rate each insect on a scale, from minus five to plus five, to describe their positive or negative feelings for each of them. Additionally, respondents were asked to provide up to three words to describe bees, butterflies, wasps, and flies.
Butterflies received the highest level of positive emotion , followed closely by bees, then flies, and lastly wasps. The most popular words for bees were “honey” and “flowers”, while wasps remembered words like “stinger” and “annoying”.
The problem, researchers say, is that wasps get a bad rap.
In addition to the bad press, experts found that wasps simply did not have the same scientific support as bees. The researchers analyzed 908 research articles since 1980 and found that only 2.4% of the papers were related to wasps, compared to 97.6% of publications on bees.
“Global concern about pollinator decline has generated a phenomenal level of public interest and support for bees. It would be great if this could be reflected in wasps as well, but it would need a complete cultural change in attitudes towards wasps, ” he says. Alessandro Cini, co-author of the study.
“The first step on this path would be for scientists to appreciate wasps more and provide the necessary research on their economic and social value, which will help the public understand the importance of wasps,” concludes Cini.
Reference: Seirian Sumner, Georgia Law, Alessandro Cini. Why we love bees and hate wasps . Ecological Entomology , 2018; DOI: 10.1111 / een.12676
