Unusual wasp behaviour?

[Calibax]

After having lunch in a pub garden, one plate had some ham left on it (mostly fat). A wasp flew down and proceded to use its mandibles to cut a 2.5mm cube of fat (about the size of its head), pick it up in its jaws and fly off. It then came back every 2 minutes or so and repeated the process until the plates were cleared away.
I've never seen this before. Anyone else witnessed this?
I only had a couple of pints so I wasn't hallucinating!

[yeannow]

No but a fox once ran off with my kebab.

[argorstran]

The wasp was carrying the fat back to the nest to feed the wasp grubs . The wasps themselves feed on nectar from plants but the wasp grubs are carnivorous . The wasps will catch smaller insects in flight and take them back to the nest for the grubs to feed on . I had a wasps nest in my loft a few years ago . After initially being horrified , I decided to let nature take its course and it was fascinating to watch these magnificent creatures at work throughout the summer . I eventually removed the nest with a vaccuum cleaner in november when the wasps had died out . Over the summer the nest had grown to 3 breeze blocks wide by 2 breeze blocks high by 8 inches thick . They are absolutely fascinating creatures .

[JonnyBoy12]

Wow, that is amazing, but argorstan is wrong. The wasp was taking the food back to feed sick wasps in a waspital!

[carmalee]

argorstan -was fascinate by your explanation - never knew wasp grubs were carnivores - do you have a web link I can progress this? .....Please!

[argorstran]

For Carmalee - http://www.keele.ac.u...retum/articles/wasps/

[Calibax]

Thanks for expanding my knowledge argorstran, that was really interesting. I agree that they're fascinating to watch but I don't think I could have coped with a wasp's nest in the house all summer!

[carmalee]

many thanks for the link argorstran