What purpose do wasps serve?

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I know they serve a purpose. I KNOW they do. But I have a bet riding on this with a friend and I don't lose bets. Because I am poor. Can anyone help?

― Colin Cooper, Tuesday, 20 January 2004 23:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I've read that they deposit their larva in figs, but I don't know if that useful or not.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

They wear argyle and go to an anglican church.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~damstra/insects/wasp.htm

I usually love nature but FUCK those things scare the shit outta me, I see one I want to bathe in bug killer and not go outside for a fortnite.. GAHH

― sucka (sucka), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasps do have a useful role scavenging for the larvae of other insects, controlling garden pests and clearing carcasses early in the season. They even dispose of rotten timber if available. However, they may carry disease picked up during their visits to dustbins, bottle banks and carcasses and can contaminate food if allowed to settle on it.

― Miss R Harrison, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

they're useful for making nasty electronic noise

http://www.vintagesynth.org/misc/edp_wasp.jpg

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.horror-wood.com/wasp.h14.jpg

ARUGA

― sucka (sucka), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.i80s.com/images/WASP003.jpg

― sucka (sucka), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

They're useful for creating FEAR! (All of the above)

(The O.G. wasps are apparently pest killers, as Miss R noted)

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Well THEY serve no purpose ;P

(WASP that is - xpost)

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:09 (twenty-two years ago)

For the uninitiated, what's an OG wasp?

― Colin Cooper, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

original gangsta

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't stand them myself. One stung me on my lip when I was just a little kid. I wasn't doing anything. I just happened to be in the wrong place without realizing it.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

antihistamines are fun

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:23 (twenty-two years ago)

In nature, a wasp's chief ecological function is to crawl into your grape soda and have a taste. If the soda is impure, the wasp will remain in the can and then sting you repeatedly in the mouth and throat to warn you.

― andy, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha I lurve Andy

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

― sucka (sucka), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

They wear argyle and go to an anglican church.

They could be Unitarians too.

Of the pictures, I stand by the last one.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

they serve the purpose of scaring the shit out of me and making me run around and squeal in terror like a little girl.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I shall bring you some.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:43 (twenty-two years ago)

PLEASE DO NOT.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:44 (twenty-two years ago)

They could be dead?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:02 (twenty-two years ago)

They make wasps. That is what wasps do, they make more wasps.

― nabiscothingy, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd probably be dead of fright.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, wasps can be of a peaceful variety. Back when i was *gaspshockhorror* Ned's housemate, we had a lot of wasps nests all around our house which we didn't mind because they just built their rather beautiful and ornate nests underneath and never bugged us and vice versa (mind you, these are paper wasps, the most mild variety of wasps), but our other severely-allergic-to-wasps housemate furiously minded. So one night, sadly, we had to knock down the wasps with a broomstick. and we thought that was that.

Until the day of our planned big BBQ party. We inspect the BBQ just hours before the guests were to arrive, and we see an arsenal of wasps standing there in the crease of the grill lid looking at all of us very very intently. I forget who, but I think we all got some generic Bug Skiller, briskly threw the grill lid open and out the other side of the backyard, sprayed the inner parts, and squealed like girlie men.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:23 (twenty-two years ago)

ahhhhh!!!!!!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Back when i was *gaspshockhorror* Ned's housemate

Trained houseboy, I think? Oh wait, no, I'm confusing people.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Some kill spiders.

― Kim (Kim), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Some have other, less creepy hobbies.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Some have other, less creepy hobbits. Or hotties.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Ned, are you drunk?

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:32 (twenty-two years ago)

No, but I suppose I could be. There's wine around.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:33 (twenty-two years ago)

haha pretend you're five and like being patronised and this site is for you - http://goodbugpage.org/wonderful_wasps1.htm

― Kim (Kim), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:35 (twenty-two years ago)

They invented paper long before humans even existed. Besides, "Coca-cola bottle waists" doesn't quite have the ring to it, does it?

― Christine 'Green Leafy Dragon' Indigo (cindigo), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Kudos to nabiscothingy.

Speaking strictly in objective terms, wasps serve only one verifiable purpose: to have baby wasps. It is the same purpose as humans you might say, although in this case I am not speaking literally but analogically, for humans clearly do not produce baby wasps (horrors, no!), but baby humans (those cute little belching, pissing machines). The basic idea is the same though. I mean... what other purpose do we serve?

― Aimless, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 04:13 (twenty-two years ago)

We shit, too.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 04:41 (twenty-two years ago)

No seriously, they're important predators in the insect food-chain. Ecologically they serve far better purposes than we do.

― Kim (Kim), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 05:09 (twenty-two years ago)

We shit, too.

But is that a purpose or a side effect?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 05:49 (twenty-two years ago)

How awesome would that be though if I could get pregnant and have wasps instead of a baby?

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 05:50 (twenty-two years ago)

If not for wasps what would we make gardenburgers to shove down the throats of vegetarians with? Duh.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 05:52 (twenty-two years ago)

That would make for a rocking baptism for Christian babies.

"Go forth, fly and be free! OUCH, motherfucker!"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 05:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't find on Google Image Search the I Feel Sick comic with the mummy bee girl and I am very upset.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 05:56 (twenty-two years ago)

How awesome would that be though if I could get pregnant and have wasps instead of a baby?

Ally, ew.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean, maybe it would be awesome in a John Carpenter movie, but otherwise...

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Being pregnant with praying mantises = FAR COOLER

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Hell, I would

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Let's see you step up to the plate.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

God is a praying mantis, you know.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Another purpose wasps serve. Food for God. (aka praying mantises)

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

God is a praying mantis, you know.

I am NOT.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

You just bought yourself a photoshop ticket, buddy.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Yay!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

How awesome would that be though if I could get pregnant and have wasps instead of a baby?

Ally, ew, you want children with stingers to come out of your uterus and down your vagina? Isn't regular childbirth painful enough?

― j.lu (j.lu), Thursday, 22 January 2004 04:19 (twenty-two years ago)

OK BABIES COME FROM THE STORK I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

― Allyzay, Thursday, 22 January 2004 05:04 (twenty-two years ago)

What?

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 22 January 2004 05:50 (twenty-two years ago)

2 things wasps are useful for:

1) Paralysing spiders and laying their eggs inside their bodies. Yay!!!

2) Figs (look it up)

― lee ward (lee ward), Thursday, 22 January 2004 06:34 (twenty-two years ago)

3) Putting in cigar tubes.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 22 January 2004 09:43 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm surprised it took so long for this to come up.

wasps are also useful for the factory

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 22 January 2004 10:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"this" = re: the cigar tubes

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 22 January 2004 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Cigar tubes are U&K.

― Llahtuos Kcin (Nick Southall), Thursday, 22 January 2004 11:18 (twenty-two years ago)

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