Of course, wasps and their relatives - hornets and bumblebees - give us some trouble in the summer, but conservationists argue that all these insects are critical to pollination and should be shown the same respect as bees.
“It is clear that we have a very different emotional connection with wasps and bees - we have lived in harmony with bees for a very long time, even domesticated some of their species, but interactions between wasps and humans are often unpleasant, since wasps sometimes interfere with picnics and have a habit of nesting in our homes,”said study author Dr. Seirian Sumner of UCL's Department of Genetics, Evolution and the Environment.
Wasps, like bees, are critical to the ecology and economies of many countries, notably the UK, helping to pollinate flowers and crops and curbing the spread of disease-causing pests and insects.
But wasp populations (like bee populations) have declined by about 50 percent in just the past 20 years due to pesticides and disease, and experts are urging gardeners to do whatever they can to help endangered insects.
This is hampered by prevailing prejudices: a new survey of more than 700 people showed that while everyone treats bees with sympathy, no one likes wasps.
The three nicest words the participants used to describe bees were honey, flowers, and hum, while people chose sting, annoying, and pain to describe wasps.
Of the 908 published scientific papers on the two species since 1980, only 2.4 percent were about wasps and 97.6 percent were about bees.
Also, out of 2 thousand 343 reports at conferences about bees or wasps over the past twenty years, more than eight out of 10 were about bees.
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Scientists believe that a general dislike for wasps is also formed because of bumblebees and hornets, meeting with which, if disturbed, does not bode well. Fortunately, the vast majority of wasps - and there are more than 75,000 species - are solitary.
The researchers believe that simple actions can improve the survival rate of wasps as a species. "Don't kill the wasps!" - calls on the co-author of the study, Dr. Alessandro Cini from the University of Florence.
“If there is a nest of wasps near you, try to coexist with them and not kill them. Only destroy nests if it is really dangerous for you or for those around you."
“Don't use insecticides in your gardens, don't use chemicals to control weeds. Old trees with hollows are good for wasps, they build their nests there, because they are hidden and safe places."
Chini added: “Global concern over declining pollinator populations has resulted in phenomenal levels of public interest in bees and bee support. It would be great if a similar attitude was observed towards wasps."
The study was published in the journal Ecological Entomology.
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