WASP (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE) TRAPPING WITH CARBOHYDRATES

Abstract:
Vespine wasps forage routinely collecting wood fibres for nest construction, insects/insect larvae for protein and also for sources of carbohydrate. It has been suggested widely that, as the nest begins to age, wasps may be found to forage more aggressively for carbohydrate, becoming a nuisance to humans in late summer and early autumn. In order to quantify how foraging behaviour changes during a single season a series of commercially available wasp traps and lures were set up in a number of locations in central Scotland. Each location had three identical traps set in open ground, partial vegetation cover and full vegetation cover respectively. All traps were set approximately 1.5m above local ground level prior to the emergence of spring queens. Total trap counts and species details for each group of three traps were analysed throughout the season. Traps were found to contain mainly Vespula vulgaris (L.) and Vespula rufa (F.), with very little representation from either Dolichovespula sylvestris (Scop.) or D. norwegica (F.) which both occur commonly in the study area. Few V. germanica (F.) were trapped due to a very low density naturally in the study area. Initially it was found that traps set on the edge of vegetation were the most successful, however during the season there was a marked shift to favour traps set in sites, which were completely exposed.