Paper Wasps vs Leafminer Flies

Our secret weapon against the leaf minors is the common paper wasp. They have built up a colony under the house easement above Alejandro Pepper Farm. These paper wasps are known to enjoy feeding on caterpillars, flies, and many other pesky insects that feed on our crops.

Though there sting can be strong, these wasps are basically social and only attack when defending themselves and their home. The nest pictured should be about as big as it gets since they're nest typically are up to about 30 wasps. I've destroyed these in the past but now I'm understanding the benefits they have for our garden. They pollinate and feed on nectar and eat flies to feed to their larva.