irish_link@lemmy.world
on 17 Mar 12:23
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TIL that wasps are pollinators. Not sure why but growing up I was always informed that they are not. They were predators who did not provide honey and so there was no need for them to be near flowers for pollen. Either I’m old or I grew up in a really shorty education system. (WhyNotBoth.gif)
Thanks to this image I looked it up and learned something. Thanks for teaching me something new today!
If you study wasps, you’ll find that they very frequently have odd symbioses from species to species, most often as parasites/parasitoids or hyperparasites. Some even have symbiotic relationships with viruses that assist them in their parasitism - ichneumon and braconid wasps have symbiotic viruses called polydnaviruses.
Some species of flies and mosquitoes are also pollinators. One cute example of pollinating flies are the Bombyliidae. Mosquito larvae are also important food sources for aquatic and semi-aquatic species like frogs and fish.
You’re probably thinking of the big guys, like hornets and paper wasps. Most wasps are tiny, and the average person would likely confuse them with a fly. There are thousands of wasp species ranging from top-level predators to tiny parasites
Wasps in first line are predators, also needed in an healthy environmentm same as any other predator. Are only agressive when are in risk their nest or in selfdefense. It is typical in a picnic, a wasp can also appear to inspect food, but then it is also common for people to hit the wasp and it is normal that then defends and itchs. If he had left him alone, nothing had happened.
Aggressiveness is a human invention, an animal is never aggressive by default, when its nature and its territory are respected. There even existing videos abut hornets as mascot.
I was a wasp agnostic until I saw them pollinating the flowers in my yard. They aren’t all assholes. Some hornets are aggressive but most wasps are chill and helpful. Everyone loves bats though, don’t they?
jjagaimo@sh.itjust.works
on 17 Mar 13:40
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There are 100,000+ wasp species, and many usually dont sting or target specific species / bugs, or are solitary
MeatPilot@lemmy.world
on 17 Mar 15:27
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I had mason bees living in the brick around my garage. Instead of murdering them all. I put out an insect house on a nearby tree, than cemented over all their homes well they were empty.
They promptly redirected to the new home, everyone was happy. Sometimes you have to be creative and put in a tad more work to redirect supposed pests.
FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone
on 17 Mar 15:54
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(If anything we humans are the “pests” and “invasive species” ahaha)
chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world
on 17 Mar 21:16
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Do you mean you cemented over the weep holes in the brick around your house? Those gaps in the brick mortar are necessary for proper drainage. Brick is porous so it will absorb water and then accumulate behind the bricks unless the weep holes are there to allow the water to drain.
This is where the cement chipped off at the top of the garage door and the inside of the brick was exposed from below. Not a weep hole.
Droggelbecher@lemmy.world
on 17 Mar 15:38
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Too many people believe that keeping honey bees is good for the environment, when in fact it damages biodiversity since they outcompete native pollinators.
Honey bees also actively take pollen back to their hive, meaning relatively little of it is spread to other flowers. They’re also often involved in pollen theft, where they take pollen, but don’t spread it appropriately at all.
qkalligula@my-place.social
on 17 Mar 16:25
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@Ephera@Droggelbecher I preface this by saying I do not disagree... and I don't want to distract from a constructive conversation...
Reveal/hidebut maaaan, hearing that bees are little dirty thieves is somehow the funniest shit I've read today. I'm giggling like a child...
ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com
on 17 Mar 16:30
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Bees and ants are in the wasp family order.
If wasps go, so to does much of the biodiversity among pollinators.
threaded - newest
TIL that wasps are pollinators. Not sure why but growing up I was always informed that they are not. They were predators who did not provide honey and so there was no need for them to be near flowers for pollen. Either I’m old or I grew up in a really shorty education system. (WhyNotBoth.gif)
Thanks to this image I looked it up and learned something. Thanks for teaching me something new today!
If you wanna learn about some more wasp pollination, look up fig wasps (Agaonidae). Wasps are legitimately one of the coolest groups of animals.
i mean that’s a pretty unusual pollinator/plant relationship
If you study wasps, you’ll find that they very frequently have odd symbioses from species to species, most often as parasites/parasitoids or hyperparasites. Some even have symbiotic relationships with viruses that assist them in their parasitism - ichneumon and braconid wasps have symbiotic viruses called polydnaviruses.
Indeed very cool, but also quite disturbing the more you learn about less common wasps…
Haha there’s a reason why the Xenomorph from Alien is in part inspired by parasitoid wasps.
en.wikipedia.org/…/Reproductive_coevolution_in_Fi…
Now tell me something nice about flies and mosquitoes so I don’t go on a murder rampage.
Some species of flies and mosquitoes are also pollinators. One cute example of pollinating flies are the Bombyliidae. Mosquito larvae are also important food sources for aquatic and semi-aquatic species like frogs and fish.
You’re probably thinking of the big guys, like hornets and paper wasps. Most wasps are tiny, and the average person would likely confuse them with a fly. There are thousands of wasp species ranging from top-level predators to tiny parasites
Wasps in first line are predators, also needed in an healthy environmentm same as any other predator. Are only agressive when are in risk their nest or in selfdefense. It is typical in a picnic, a wasp can also appear to inspect food, but then it is also common for people to hit the wasp and it is normal that then defends and itchs. If he had left him alone, nothing had happened.
Aggressiveness is a human invention, an animal is never aggressive by default, when its nature and its territory are respected. There even existing videos abut hornets as mascot.
I was a wasp agnostic until I saw them pollinating the flowers in my yard. They aren’t all assholes. Some hornets are aggressive but most wasps are chill and helpful. Everyone loves bats though, don’t they?
There are 100,000+ wasp species, and many usually dont sting or target specific species / bugs, or are solitary
<img alt="" src="https://lemm.ee/pictrs/image/4873559a-418b-4d39-9824-51dcd775b5ac.jpeg">
I had mason bees living in the brick around my garage. Instead of murdering them all. I put out an insect house on a nearby tree, than cemented over all their homes well they were empty.
They promptly redirected to the new home, everyone was happy. Sometimes you have to be creative and put in a tad more work to redirect supposed pests.
(If anything we humans are the “pests” and “invasive species” ahaha)
Do you mean you cemented over the weep holes in the brick around your house? Those gaps in the brick mortar are necessary for proper drainage. Brick is porous so it will absorb water and then accumulate behind the bricks unless the weep holes are there to allow the water to drain.
This is where the cement chipped off at the top of the garage door and the inside of the brick was exposed from below. Not a weep hole.
Too many people believe that keeping honey bees is good for the environment, when in fact it damages biodiversity since they outcompete native pollinators.
Honey bees also actively take pollen back to their hive, meaning relatively little of it is spread to other flowers. They’re also often involved in pollen theft, where they take pollen, but don’t spread it appropriately at all.
@Ephera @Droggelbecher I preface this by saying I do not disagree... and I don't want to distract from a constructive conversation...
Reveal/hide
but maaaan, hearing that bees are little dirty thieves is somehow the funniest shit I've read today. I'm giggling like a child...Bees and ants are in the wasp
familyorder.If wasps go, so to does much of the biodiversity among pollinators.
Edit: specificity in language is important
Bees are not in the wasp family (although ants are)
My bad, I meant order, they’re distant cousins in the Hymenoptera order.
bats dont live underwater
Only very temporarily.
Their skeletons might though
Why the fuck even make a selection. It’s called an eco-SYSTEM for a reason.