Parasitic Wasps

September 15, 2008

A parasitic wasp lays its eggs.
Predator and parasitic wasps can be a great addition to your garden, indoors or out. Some species of wasp feed off of garden pests, and will be better for your garden (and you) that dousing it with chemicals.

Parasitic wasps dispatch garden pests in a unique, if not gruesome manner. When a parasitic wasp reaches maturity and needs to lay eggs, first it finds a suitable host. The wasp then injects its eggs into the host insect, completing its life cycle. A single female may lay 300 eggs into a number of different hosts.

When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae begin to eat the host from the inside out, killing it as they devour their first meal. Certain types of wasp target certain garden plants, so be sure to identify the garden pests before you go to the insectary to get some wasps.

Written by Matt · Filed Under Pest Control, Uncategorized