Tooth and Claw: Wasps

Discovery

BBC

Science

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 January 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Why do wasps exist? While many see them as unfriendly bees who sting out of spite, their aggression could be interpreted as a fierce form of family protection. They are hugely understudied and even more underappreciated, with hundreds of thousands of different species carrying out jobs in our ecosystems. Some live together in nests whereas others hunt solo, paralysing prey with antibiotic-laden venom. In abundance, they can destroy environments - outcompeting most creatures and taking resource for themselves - but could we harness their predatory powers to take on pest control? Adam Hart and guests are a-buzz about this much-maligned insect and explore why we should be giving them more credit.

Professor Seirian Sumner, behavioural ecologist at University College London, and Dr Jenny Jandt, ecologist at University of Otago, New Zealand.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.
0:03.6	My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a load of sport podcasts.
0:08.1	I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with a leading journalist, experienced
0:12.2	pundits and the biggest sport stars.
0:14.3	Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the players'
0:18.5	mouths.
0:19.5	But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is our unique access to the sport world.
0:24.9	What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to
0:28.8	dedicated sports fans across the UK.
0:31.2	So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:35.9	The dark is rising from the BBC World Service.
0:39.2	The powers of the dark are reaching out now steadily and stealthily all over this world.
0:45.7	Find out more at the end of this podcast.
0:51.6	This is Discovery from the BBC World Service.
0:54.1	I'm Adam Hart and this is Tooth and Claw.
0:56.8	The series where I explore our complex and challenging relationships with Earth's greatest
1:01.0	predators, through the people who have spent their lives studying, protecting and at times
1:06.4	narrowly escaping them.
1:08.0	We're currently on our third series so if you want more Tooth and Claw you can listen to
1:11.5	series one and two for free wherever you get your podcasts.
1:15.3	Today's predator is dubbed the gangster of the insect world.
1:18.8	They're aggressive, can paralyze their prey and have a nasty sting.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.