Do Wasps Eat Mosquitoes? Is it a Primary Part of Their Diet?

Wasps can be an annoying household pest all by themselves. But if you’ve landed here, you are likely wondering if there’s ANY benefit at all to having them around your home – and more specifically, if a wasp’s diet includes mosquitoes.

So, are mosquitoes part of a wasps diet? The answer here is multi-layered, as there are a number of different species of wasp. Each species may be more or less tolerant to certain types of insects or pests.

In this article, you’ll find out about a wasp’s diet, and if it includes these nasty little blood-sucking pests. You’ll also learn a few tips about getting rid of mosquitoes, as well as a few other animals that enjoy including them in their diet. Let’s jump in!

Do Wasps Feed on Mosquitoes?

The short answer to this question is no, generally speaking, wasps do not seek out mosquitoes as a source of nutrition. What wasps eat depends greatly on their species. Hornets, for example, are large eusocial wasps that hunt other insects like beetles, worms, praying mantises and bees. But they can also be seen eating overripe fruits, honey, carrion and even human food like sodas and candy bars.

Meanwhile yellowjackets are famous for being “meat eaters”. These bugs will still eat what hornets do, but they just love to feed on meat from larger animals. Yellowjackets enjoy this type of protein so much that they even hover over trashcans that have leftover raw meat in them.

Some wasps are parasitic. These particular wasps feed on insects from the moment they are born. The Aphidius nigripes, for example, lay their eggs inside caterpillars. And when the eggs hatch, the larvae eat their way out of the infected bug.

Wasps will also feast on nectar and honeydew. In fact, their consumption of these natural sugary treats makes them contributors to cross-pollination and the growth of many kinds of flowers.

So in general, wasps will eat almost anything. But mosquitoes are not a major part of their diet. They do not seek them out specifically for food, but they may devour one if it’s standing in the way. This means there’s no real benefit to allowing them to live around your home, and you should look for the most effective method to remove wasps from your home.

What Animals Eat Mosquitoes?

There are plenty of other animals that can feed on mosquitoes. Some of them can even be raised inside properties to help with growing mosquito problems. Others, you’ll just be lucky enough to have around, depending on where you live. Let’s take a look.

Fish

One of the best ways to control mosquitoes is to set up a pond, and raise some fish. These aquatic helpers are known to eat mosquito larvae actively, so less and less adult mosquitoes will live in your property. There are many different species of fish that eat them, so do your research before building a pond with a variety of different fish.

Tadpoles

Keeping tadpoles in your pond also keeps the mosquito population in check. That’s because these predeveloped frogs have certain ways to eradicate whole groups of mosquito larvae in an area. This is why many people tend to let tadpoles and frogs around their yard or gardens, in moderation.

Birds

Some birds eat mosquitoes. You should focus on attracting swallows, waterfowl, and purple martins since they’re the ones that feed on these bloodsucking bugs. There are many other bird species that eat mosquitoes though, so keeping a birdfeeder around your house is a good idea if you’d like to limit your mosquito population.

Bats

Bats are also known mosquito eaters. However, keeping them in a house may prove to be a challenge since you need special permission to raise them. We don’t recommend this route, but if you live someplace that has bats naturally, understand that mosquitoes are definitely part of their diet.

Other Predatory Insects

Damselflies, dragonflies, spiders and even other mosquitoes – all these insects are proven effective factors in bringing down mosquito populations. You just have to learn how to live with them by reading this post.

Wrap Up

So to answer the question Do wasps actually eat mosquitoes? Unfortunately, they don’t. That’s probably because they have a huge range of food source to sustain them, so feeding on only one type of insect isn’t very appetizing nor is it practical.

But if you’re still keen on combating this disease-carrying pest, we recommend using predatory insects and some effective home remedies to help you. If you are struggling with mosquito control, there are also natural prevention methods, like planting marigolds to ward them off, or using more traditional mosquito dunks.