Wasps are frequently observed near water sources. Water is fundamental for their survival and plays diverse roles in their biology. Understanding why wasps seek water provides insight into their daily activities and colony maintenance.
Water for Survival
Water is essential for a wasp’s bodily functions. Wasps require hydration to prevent desiccation, especially during hot weather, and for their metabolic processes. When temperatures rise, wasps use water to regulate their body temperature through evaporative cooling, similar to how mammals sweat. This helps them avoid overheating. As ectothermic creatures, their body temperature largely depends on the external environment, making water access particularly important for thermal regulation.
Building Their Homes
Water is a crucial component in the construction of wasp nests. Social wasps, like paper wasps, create their paper nests by mixing wood fibers with saliva and water. They scrape wood, chew it into a pulp, and combine it with water to form a malleable material that hardens into a paper-like structure, allowing them to mold the hexagonal cells and protective outer layers. For solitary wasps like mud daubers, water softens mud, enabling them to sculpt distinctive nests and construct individual chambers for their offspring.
Nourishing the Colony
Water plays a significant role in nourishing the wasp colony, particularly developing larvae. Adult wasps primarily consume liquids like nectar, as their mouthparts are adapted for sipping. Wasp larvae require a protein-rich diet, which adults provide by hunting insects. Adult wasps collect water to dilute concentrated food sources, making them digestible for the larvae, and this diluted food is then fed to the young. Larvae, in turn, produce a sugary secretion that adult wasps consume, creating a symbiotic food exchange within the colony.
Where Wasps Find Water
Wasps obtain water from various sources. Natural sources include puddles, dew droplets, and damp soil; they also extract moisture from plant sap or overripe fruits. Wasps are frequently observed at human-made water sources due to their accessibility, such as swimming pools, bird baths, dripping faucets, and pet water bowls. They are drawn to pools by the water itself, and sometimes by the odors of chemicals or nearby food. The shimmering surface of water can also trigger their instinct to seek hydration, and providing alternative, shallow water sources with pebbles or stones can divert wasps from human areas.