A bee and a wasp. One carrying the earth's ecosystem on its shoulders, the other - trying to kill him.
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I took these two photos on the very same bush, where hundreds of bees and the occasional wasp, were feeding and gathering nectar. And when I say feeding, I mean wasps eating bees.
Yep - almost every minute a fight would brake out - a wasp and a bee, caught in a deadly fight, each trying to sting the other. More often the wasp would win, then carry the body of the bee back to its hive, where the larva would feed on it. In return, larva secret a sugary substance, which the wasps feed on.
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The wasp queen stops laying new larva in Autumn, so wasps are left with nothing to eat - you will then see them on your food or more commonly - on your face, trying to eat you alive. Or at least sting you, for not tasting good enough.
It's always a good idea to build a wasp trap - it also works for flies. Cut a bottle's top, reverse it in its base and then fill it with some beer and some sugar (or leftover jam). Be sure not to use honey, as you will also attract bees. This is quite effective, as it will also catch the scout wasp - the same one, which brings an army of his buddies back to your food, if you just shoo him off.
Wasp trap image property of its respective owner
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