Do birds eat wasps, hornets and bees?

Do Birds Eat Wasps or Hornets?

“Is it true that birds will eat bald-faced hornets from the hornet nest after it has been hit by frost and cold?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Arduth Palermo of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman: “Bald-faced hornets build nests of gray paperlike material, made from chewed-up bits of wood. They use them for only one season. As cold weather approaches, the queen hornet leaves to spend the winter in hibernation elsewhere. The other adult hornets, as well as the last larvae and pupae, remain in the nest. There, they grow sluggish and eventually freeze to death. Once they’re immobilized, various birds may rip open the nest to eat the hornets inside. This has been documented for blue jays, woodpeckers and others.”

Not all scary-looking bugs will sting you! Learn which wasps tend to sting, and which usually won’t.

Do Blue Jays Eat Wasps?

“I saw a blue jay flying up to the eaves of my house and then down to the roof. It was dissecting a wasps’ or bees’ nest. Do blue jays eat those insects?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Melody VanOteghem of Milan, Illinois.

Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman: “Blue jays are fun to watch. These large, blue colored birds are clever and adaptable with a varied diet. They usually don’t eat adult bees or wasps. Sometimes, however, they will break open a wasps’ nest to eat the soft larvae inside. Around a small wasps’ nest, blue jays have been observed catching and crushing the adult wasps and dropping them on the ground. Then, with the stinging adults out of the way, the jays will break off pieces of the nest to eat the young wasps inside it.”

Next, learn the differences between wasps and bees.