Summary:
Picnic pests or top pest controllers? Find out more about wasps.
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There are about 9,000 species of wasp in the UK. Only nine of these form large, social nests. Many of the 9,000 species are parasites of insects or plants, for example gall wasps.
Wasps aren't all black and yellow. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colours, including this sand wasp (below). The ruby-tailed wasp has a metallic, ruby-coloured abdomen.