Bird Watching in Deepest West Sussex From David Cole

The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is now creeping in and our Discovery apple tree is proving its usual magnet for the local wasp population - and there's a question that has never been answered properly - "What is the use of a wasp ?"

The sharp-tailed ones are hot into any fruit that drops off the tree, and you've got to be pretty quick to get an unmarked apple while it is still growing. They seem to prefer the fruit when it is brownish and very juicy and set traps all over the grass beneath the tree for the unwary in unsuitable footware.

I refuse to say that I have escaped their attention this year - where's a piece of wood to touch when you need it ? I am lucky not to experience an allergic reaction to the venom which is injected during the 'sting' - but my son, who is with the ambulance service tells me that very strong reactions are not uncommon, causing heavy swelling and often difficulty in breathing. In rare cases death can occur within an hour. So I treat them with respect and gather my share of the apples very early in the morning - Mr Wasp is not an early riser.

The nests can be under ground, or often large paper balls in lofts and roof spaces - like the one shown here in a neighbour's garage. They are well worth avoiding as the wasp colony tends to be very protective - removing them is not a job for the amateur.

I suppose that as wasps pollinate flowers especially early in the season when their food includes nectar they do have a use, but I'd far rather have a big friendly bumble bee really close to me any day.