Why do wasps mindlessly dive into drinks? (7 photos)

There is nothing more revealing than your own experience. How many times did our mother tell us as children that all sweet drinks should be covered with a lid? A lot of. Did we listen carefully? Of course not.





Only a few listened to their parents' words. The rest first had a most unpleasant encounter with some wasp that flew in to feast on the sweets, and only then acquired the habit of sealing the bottles tightly. And that’s good if it doesn’t sting your tongue yet! But okay, we children didn’t understand everything yet. But why is the wasp such a fool? The neck was open, just like it got in, it was necessary to get out the same way. And she drowned!

Unfortunately, for insects, getting into a bottle or glass is usually a one-way ticket. There are a couple of reasons for this.



It was delicious, but it ended sadly.

For a wasp, sweetness is the same desirable food as for us. A diet of sugars is natural for insects. It gives you a ton of quick energy. But the black-and-yellow beast has a lot to do: he needs to build a nest, look after the larvae, and find food. Therefore, when an insect stumbles upon an open jar of juice, it cannot resist. So much free food!



Wasps also love sweet fruits, so don’t leave the cores on the table!

When the wasp finally climbs into the container, it does not see any obstacles. Transparent walls of glass or plastic perfectly transmit light and images, which is why the insect does not understand what the catch is. For obvious reasons, the wasp cannot penetrate through plastic or glass, so it begins to fly along the wall in circles until it smashes into an obstacle so that it falls straight into the sweet, viscous sugar liquid. The abdomen and wings stick together, and the chance of rescue decreases every second.



The wasps are not embarrassed by the fallen pioneers; the desire to eat overshadows everything.

Let's say the wings are dirty, but everything else remains intact. Why not just climb onto the side of a glass or bottle? Insects easily hang upside down, but here they are unable to climb a vertical surface. Is it really a sugar coma? What's happening to them?



It's not just a juice, it's now a protein shake!

The problem is that glass and plastic are too slippery. The legs of insects work on the principle of hooks. They have notches that cling to the slightest roughness on the surface. But droplets of the drink not only glue the insect’s climbing hooks together, but also make the surface absolutely smooth. Even if the wasp wants to get out of the glass, it is unlikely to succeed.



All these microscopic villi help insects hold their bodies in any position. But if you wet them, there will be no effect!

Some craftsmen make special traps based on insect bugs: they pour something sweet into a bottle and leave it open for a couple of days. This is enough to collect a whole wasp cemetery. Epic? Undoubtedly. Effective? Doubtful. After all, the sweetness will attract not only the wasps that fell into the trap, but also those who previously stayed away from the area.



Even if the neck is large enough, it is rare that a wasp will be able to figure out how to get out of the bottle.