Hello,
Can anyone tell me if red wasps pollinate flowers? I have some pumpkin plants whose blooms are about to open and there is a noticeable lack of bees. I have seen several red wasps flying around and am wondering if they can or will pollinate the female pumpkin flowers.

 

Hi Alie,

I've never seen or heard of a red wasp before. What zone/state are you in?

To answer your question, wasps are great pollinators, but I know nothing aobut red wasps and their habits. I'm assuming they will pollinate your pumpkins, but can't say for sure. Hopefully, someone else knows.

Gami

 

I live near the Houston area in Texas and what we call red wasps (that may not be the correct name) are seen in abundance.

 

Hi Alie,

Here's a site with photos of several wasps -

http://entowww.tamu.edu/images/insec.../c-tind14.html

The red wasp is also called a paper wasp. They will pollinate your flowers.

I have paper wasps, but they are black and they will attack you if you get near or bother their nests. I get stung about 4 times a year by those fellas. Do your red ones do that?

People don't like to kill "good" insects, but I don't consider this wasp to be a good insect when you have to run from them all the time. They make their nests in many places--under the eaves, in a shrub and even 3" off the ground in flowerbeds. You don't know they are there until you stick your hand in to pull a weed and they take after you. I now walk around with a can of wasp spray. We have several kinds of bees that can take over the pollination for them.

Gami