Wasp question

[shenk1]

Does anything predate wasps? We have wasps around our bird feeders eating raisins and apple but all the birds avoid them including the larger birds like doves and the insect eaters.Blackbirds will move seed before eating it just to make sure none are there and even the rats that come to the feeders will duck out of their way.I know its a silly question but they seen to be invincible in our garden.(Luckily we like them and put out the apple specifically for them.)

[valleyforge]

I think wasps are pretty safe from most common garden birds, but I have seen a GS Woodpecker take a wasp from the rail of our boundary fence.

The wasp was on top of the rail, presumably chewing up the wood for byke building as they commonly do (leaving tracks in the woodstain as they chew their way backwards).

The woodpecker alighted on thje nearest fence post, hopped up vertically level with the rail and just waited for the wasp to back into range. A quick stab and both woody and the wasp were gone.

Though I'd never seen that before (or since), the woodpecker gave every indication that he was no novice at catching wasps.

[Dogghound]

Birds like warblers and flycatchers will eat wasps. They rub the tail on a branch etc before eating to remove the sting.

[eucera]

Badgers are predators. They attack the nests

[Beekeeper]

Hornets also eat wasps, they catch them on the wing or occasionaly when feeding and bite off their heads before either eating the rest or taking it back to the nest.

BK