Most people think of bees as hardworking insects that deliberately do no harm, but most other insects that fly through the air seem to have a bad rap.
They are unwanted pests that annoy us when we picnic, suck blood or leave thick welts on our legs when the weather is nice.
But they can’t all be bad, can they?
Robert Morgan, reserve officer at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, says most of the insects we consider pests can be avoided or repelled, and what is probably our largest summer pest – the wasp – is actually doing a very important job.
He said, “There are probably 8,000 species of Hymenoptera in Britain (the largest group of any insect in Britain) – those are wasps, bees and ants, and probably millions more worldwide that we just don’t know about.
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“Butterflies and other large insects can host these creatures, so they are very good at keeping other species in check, and in turn doing a good job of keeping the ecosystem balanced.
“Without wasps holding other creatures down, crops could be exhausted. Although they annoy us, especially when we eat outside, they are here for a reason.
“In general, insects are in decline, but their numbers are not closely monitored. We have good years for wasps and lean years for wasps – they come in cycles and the good news is that 2020 and 2021 look like lean years, although that could mean there will be a lot more of them next year.
“Usually the numbers are highest in August / September, with September being the time that bothers them the most.
“We saw far fewer wasps and hornets this summer. This may be due to fewer queens surviving hibernation due to a late cold snap or a cold, wet spring. Although it appears to be more circular due to disease and parasite exposure.”
Here’s Robert explains the five airborne pests you may encounter this summer:
The scourge of some picnics – buying wasps actually do an important job in the ecosystem
– Photo credit: Getty Images / iStockphoto
Wasps
“Wasps have so much more to offer than people think, they’re important pollinators doing an important job, but they get a bit of bad press.
“They’re more common in the fall – essentially they can go free after their important breeding work, and most of them tend to spend the late summer months feeding on windfalls, so they often fly around literally drunk on fermented fruits, what might explain why they can be more pest-like.
“If you fool around around a wasp or disturb a nest and upset them, they will spray a pheromone on you that will identify you as a target for other wasps. It’s really best to sit still and let them move on.
“I think there is a feeling that we want nature to be indulgent and to stay where it should. We don’t like nature with attitude that wasps have!”
The Moor Wasp found only in Norfolk
– Photo credit: Tim Strudwick
Fen mason wasp
“Something Norfolk should be proud of is the moor wasp. It was considered extinct but can only be found in Norfolk at Hickling Broad and Upton Broad. It appears that a relic population has been preserved and came back in 1986.
“They’re digging little holes in the ground that make little chimneys that you’ll see along sidewalks.”
Hornets don’t look to sting people, but they can and will leave a nasty bite
– Credit: Library
Hornets
“Hornets look wild and don’t usually look to sting, they tend to really stay to themselves. We have seen the arrival of Asian hornets who like to feed on the carcasses of dead animals and other insects, but they don’t tend to “disturb people.
Some insects like to mimic wasps to scare off other predators, so what you might think of a wasp isn’t always. “
The horsefly prefers to bite cattle, but sees humans as a soft option
– Photo credit: Getty Images / iStockphoto
Brakes
“They peak in July and August, they really like hot weather. We also have the cleg fly that can give a nasty bite.
“Horse flies are built to scratch the skin to make it bleed, and you often see them around farm animals like horses and cows as they are bigger targets. But they know human skin is easier to penetrate, so have they don’t mind looking at us. ” as a soft option. “
Mosquitoes are attracted to our breath – and in children they prefer to target men rather than women
– Photo credit: Getty Images / iStockphoto
Mosquitoes
“If you’re out on the broads this summer, you need a little repellent, especially when it’s warm and wet. They would rather target adults than children as they are attracted to the carbon dioxide in the breath of adults men versus women as men have a more pungent odor to which they are attracted.
“Mosquitoes have a straw that sucks blood through human skin when they actually get the blood from the blood pressure of the human body, which releases it.
“Apparently, when you see a mosquito on your body and pinch the area around it, the mosquito explodes under the pressure of the blood – basically it can’t stop drinking until it bursts.”
