Academics said that wasps regulate populations of arthropods, like aphids and caterpillars, that damage crops.
They are also expert pollinators, visiting 960 plant species including 164 that are completely dependent on wasps for pollination, according to a study published in Biological Reviews.
Lead author Prof Seirian Sumner, from UCL’s Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, said: “Wasps are one of those insects we love to hate – and yet bees, which also sting, are prized for pollinating our crops and making honey.
“In a previous study, we found that the hatred of wasps is largely due to widespread ignorance about the role of wasps in ecosystems, and how they can be beneficial to humans.
Academics said that wasps regulate populations of arthropods, like aphids and caterpillars, that damage crops.
They are also expert pollinators, visiting 960 plant species including 164 that are completely dependent on wasps for pollination, according to a study published in Biological Reviews.
Lead author Prof Seirian Sumner, from UCL’s Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, said: “Wasps are one of those insects we love to hate – and yet bees, which also sting, are prized for pollinating our crops and making honey.
“In a previous study, we found that the hatred of wasps is largely due to widespread ignorance about the role of wasps in ecosystems, and how they can be beneficial to humans.