“Prompting people to actively notice birdsong, plant textures and smells can significantly improve wellbeing…” Interesting study that suggests simple and small interventions, eg signage, that encourage people to notice nature can boost people’s wellbeing. Open access article below.

I had a fantastic time this week at #Ento25 in Glasgow organized by @royentsoc.bsky.social. I presented a poster based on data generated our PhD student @femi-benny.bsky.social (with @waspwoman.bsky.social)! Thank to @ucl.ac.uk and @uclcber.bsky.social for the funding Research Progression Grant!

This is infuriating. What is the point of a Marine Protected Area if trawlers are allowed to keep ploughing it? Yet again, the government has succumbed to commercial lobbying. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Why we should love #wasps @waspwoman.bsky.social

Despite the rapid onset on autumn, wasps are still building their nests! The show goes on! #WaspLove

#HamOrJam #PicnicWaspSurvey Offered ham (aka protein) and an apple (‘jam’ aka sweet) - It’s ‘jam’ for this wasp today! Pls submit your wasp food choices at your picnic! Help us reach 500 records for August! Read about it & submit data here: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/au... @uclcber.bsky.social

What do wasps eat? First molecular data for native zone Vespula Yellowjackets. So happy to see this out, finally! Started in 2018.. or maybe 2017.. 🫣involving @uclcber.bsky.social MRes (Ben Bellekom) and MSci (Georgia Law) students @ucllifesciences.bsky.social @dr-bob-brown.bsky.social

Does anyone in the South of England have a wasp nest in their garden they would wish removed anytime in the next five weeks? This research led by Dr Bob Brown @dr-bob-brown.bsky.social, is helping with control of invasive wasps in New Zealand.

An old video, so I haven’t added it to this year’s data but a reminder of this gentle little wasp taking ham from my fingers. #WaspLove

Thrilled to see data flying in for #HamOrJam #WaspPicnicSurvey today after my interview on #BBCRadio2 #JeremyVine show! www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/au... Media wasp narrative has changed over the summer: wasp science now supercedes scaremongering 🥳. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b... @uclnews.bsky.social

We are 3 records short of 400!! Please submit your picnic wasp food observations! More info on how and why here: theconversation.com/what-to-do-w... @theconversation.com

Wasps come in many varieties - some are indeed gruesome. We talked to a world expert @waspwoman.bsky.social about her work on wasps - you can watch the interview here: Science Of The Times Ep 24 Waspish Behaviour youtu.be/QUcSYRKAHOo

If a wasp visits your picnic this wknd, what’s she after? #HamOrJam? Worker wasps hunt protein for the larvae but need sugar themselves. Help us learn about their food preferences-tell us what wasps want at your picnic. #CitizenScience #WaspPicnicSurvey docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

So fab to hear these stories of dining with wasps! PLEASE submit your observations on the #HamOrJam #WaspPicnicSurvey to help us learn more about how wasp preferences change with season and location. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... @uclnews.bsky.social @uclcber.bsky.social #WaspLove

Cool thing I learned today. Be chill and the wasps will stay chill. More interesting wasp survival tips:

Omg... my partner and I had a lunch outside a while ago and seeing a wasp trying to go at our chicken, offered her her own piece which she peacefully took. Just watched her in fascination as she used her mandibles, dining with her. Still a special memory. Great animals.

Thanks @waspwoman.bsky.social for writing this inspiring book. Although feeling guilty as being part of "ying" (a bee-guy 😉), I always enjoy observing "yin", i.e., sandwasps and adore their episodic spatial memory. Wish I could breed them in the lab.

Useful and practical advice for dealing with picnic wasps! I didn't know "wasp offering" was an official term; I just love feeding them because they're so cute.

People act like wasps are aggressive, but they’re really not. If you flail around and try to swat them, they might go on the defensive. But if you ignore them, they’re perfectly happy to ignore you. And they can be cute like any other creature!

I gave them the piece of salmon that one was crawling on, and by the end of the meal there were 7 or 8 wasps on there and they had taken away like half of it. It was impressive! Here’s that first one cutting off a chunk. It’s like a leafcutter ant but with fish!

Today I got to watch some wasps going absolutely ham on the salmon of my grocery store sushi. I was glad to have read this article so I knew why they wanted it! Off to feed their babies with protein…

Top marks to my mum-in-law for sharing her pork sarnie with a picnic wasp today- c before & after pixs! AND for adding her obs to #HamOrJam #PicnicWaspSurvey Have you submitted YOUR obs? You can submit as many as you like. theconversation.com/what-to-do-w... docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The secret life of wasps! @timcoulson.bsky.social and I chat to Seirian Sumner about her pioneering work on wasps.

How to dine alongside wasps this summer, and help us learn more about them! Pls keep telling us what wasps want at your picnic - all thru the summer! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... www.bbc.com/future/artic... @uclnews.bsky.social #BBC #WaspPicnicSurvey #JamOrJam @uclnews.bsky.social

Citizen-science in action.

The survey can be found at forms.gle/aRZY7uv5NL7G... and only takes a minute @ucllifesciences.bsky.social

Wasp scientists are calling for your help in a very simple survey: the next time a wasp visits your picnic, if you mark down whether it goes for protein or sugar, you can help Prof Seirian Sumner @waspwoman.bsky.social and her @uclcber.bsky.social colleagues better understand the wasp life cycle

#HamOrJam? What food type do #Wasps want at YOUR picnic? If you've got a choice of protein and sugar whilst alfresco dining this summer, and a wasp comes visiting, please tell us which she wants! www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/au... @femi-benny.bsky.social @uclcber.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social

One of the great things about writing for @theconversation.com is that your article can be picked up & republished (under your name) elsewhere. Here's my #WaspPicnic #HAmOrJam article (free) in @the-independent.com @uclnews.bsky.social @uclcber.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/life-style/h...

Our recently opened World of Wasps exhibition hopes to reveal the unseen lives of wasps. Speaking to @cnn.com, Professor Seirian Sumner (@waspwoman.bsky.social) gave her top five reasons why we should all love wasps as much as she does.

Wasps (and me!) On #Radio4 #YouAndYour today 12.35ish. Follow link to #HamOrJam #WaspPicnicSurvey here and in @bbcsounds.bsky.social app. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... @UCLNews www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Love the thoughtful, erudite reflections by @willwiles.bsky.social on #WorldOfWasps exhibition @uclgrantmuseum.bsky.social. Thank you Will, for such a fabulous piece. #WoW is free to the public, open until 26 Jan - the world’s first immersive wasp experience! apollo-magazine.com/wasps-nests-...

Nice article by @willwiles.bsky.social in @apollo-magazine.com on the #WorldOfWasps! Be sure to visit @uclgrantmuseum.bsky.social! apollo-magazine.com/wasps-nests-...

#CritterMode Wowza! Wasps!

Wasps (and me!) in @thesundaytimes.bsky.social today. Thanks @ben-spencer.bsky.social for championing wasps! Get involved with #WaspPicnicSurvey and #BigWaspSurvey! #SummerOfWaspLove Links below! @uclcber.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @adamhartscience.bsky.social

#WaspPicnicSurvey - Is your wasp wanting #HamOrJam? Chicken (protein = 'ham') is the winner here! Don't forget to submit your data here: tinyurl.com/HamOrJam

#WaspPicnicSurvey - Is your wasp wanting #HamOrJam? Chicken (protein = 'ham') is the winner here! Don't forget to submit your data here: tinyurl.com/HamOrJam

Are you in the UK? Are you planning a picnic? Did you remember to invite the wasps? No? Well, chances are they'll invite themselves; and this friendly wasp scientist would very much like to know which part of your picnic they find most enticing.

Cool! ‘Wasp offerings are well-tested techniques around the world’ bc wasps don’t recruit (like honeybees do).. so seeing one doesn’t mean you’ll see more. We have a large aerial wasp nest that I’m sure is keeping my garden pest-free. This is truly awesome. What are wasp offerings? 👇 #wildlife

@johnnwells.bsky.social is my fav #WaspPicnicSurvey peep today 🥰, running an ACTUAL expt in his garden for the #HamOrJam survey! Don’t forget to submit results online - 1 per wasp if possible, or post in the notes 4 ham; 0 jam! tinyurl.com/HamOrJam Pls keep obs going thru the summer!

🖋️"With unsustainable wildlife loss across the planet, we need to learn to live alongside all organisms – even wasps." Prof Seirian Sumner @waspwoman.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social gives a scientist’s guide to dining safely with insects. theconversation.com/what-to-do-w...

Ham ham ham!! #WaspPicnicSurvey Awesome spot from @robcruickshank.bsky.social Keep them coming and don’t forget to submit your observations here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

“The wasp-waist of an adult worker limits her to a largely liquid diet. She is like a waiter who must deliver feasts to customers without tasting it.” 🥺

We have plenty of wasps in our garden, along with bees and other pollinators, but I never knew about the ham to jam switch. Fascinating!

Timely wasp advice here from @waspwoman.bsky.social with some top science & citizen science thrown in 🐝🐝🐝

These are great suggestions.

Have some neat info on the inner lives of wasps And don't forget your wasp offering!

Ham ham ham!!! #WaspPicnicSurvey Amazing! Thank you @hamletisintown.bsky.social - be sure to submit your data here: tinyurl.com/HamOrJam  Keep tall these wonderful observations of #HamOrJam #WaspPicnicSurvey coming in!

this is a super interesting project bc there are very clear predictions in the literature about foundress/colony consumption of sugar vs protein across the year! Adults literally cannot eat meat, IIRC, they’re taking it home for the kids

#WaspOfferings - they work. Top marks @nationaltrust.org.uk Help us BETTER undertsand what #WaspOffering to give: put out a plate of cooked ham along side the jar of jam... which do they prefer? And submit your data here! #HamOrJam #WaspPicnicSurvey tinyurl.com/HamOrJam