We see the upside of bees, while batting away their buzzing cousins, but there are important reasons to treasure them

Benefiting wildlife 

Wasps may buzz, sting us and annoy us, but they’re far more useful than we realise. A new study in Ecological Entomology reveals both the overwhelmingly negative public perception of wasps and also their importance. Among the benefits is wasps’ pollination of flowers, helping Britain’s wildlife to blossom and supporting biodiversity.

Stopping disease 

A wasp hovering around you in the garden seems like a threat, but in a sense it may actually be protecting you. The same Ecological Entomology report, from researchers at University College London (UCL), suggests that wasps are a barrier to the spread of illness. Human diseases can be spread by insects but, thankfully, wasps have been known to kill several types of insects that transmit these diseases.

Cancer treatment 

While we might not expect it of the common wasps that irritate us all summer, there is a species of wasp that could help us to fight cancer.