Come and find out more about the social lives of wasps with Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) on Saturday 18 August.

Often dismissed as the unfriendly stingers of the insect world, common wasps and hornets are social insects forming annual colonies of up to 10,000 workers. With distinct markings, their yellow and black stripes are a warning pattern to prospective predators that they are venomous and best left alone.

During a morning’s theory session at Stedham Village Hall, near Midhurst find out more about their ecology and identify some dead social wasps which have been trapped in beer.

But not all wasps are social - surprisingly the vast majority of wasps are solitary. In the afternoon join SWT out on the nature reserve at Stedham Common looking for these solitary creatures. The Common is perfect for digger wasps as they construct underground nests in the soft, sandy soil and drag their insect victims down in a paralysed state to be devoured by their grubs.

This introductory one day course on social and solitary wasps at Stedham Common runs from 10:00 – 16:00. Meet at Stedham Village Hall for the morning session. Cost for members/concessions: £22.50. Non-members: £30. Booking essential please ring Filma Dyer on 01273 497561.

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