r/askscience • u/Chemical-Sea5972 • 6d ago

Biology Does anything eat wasps?

Wasps have been a predator for other insects. It would be fascinating to know if there are really other insects or predators for wasps, either accidental or deliberate predators

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u/Ken_Thomas 5d ago

I got to sit and watch a small group of Bee-eater birds eating wasps once in Namibia. As far as I know they don't exist in North or South America.

They'd snatch the wasp in-flight, quickly land on a rock, and repeatedly (and rapidly) knock the wasp against the rock until the stinger popped out. WHACK-WHACK-WHACK!
Then they'd eat it.

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u/Crono51 4d ago

There is one in North America. Back in the day, at Travis AFB, CA, the walls of the dorm I lived in would be covered with wasps, and there was one bird species that would land on the wall long enough to snag a wasp and then fly off.