Date of Award
5-2025
Access Control
Open Access
Degree Name
Biology, M.A.
Department
Biology
Advisor
Robert J. Warren II
Abstract
Invasive social insects can restructure native arthropod communities through predation and competition. Vespula germanica (German yellowjacket) is a globally invasive wasp species that dominates vespid assemblages across urban and suburban landscapes. This study tested the hypothesis that reducing V. germanica using protein-based fipronil baits would increase native pollinator abundance, species richness and native vespid abundance. Vespula germanica was experimentally suppressed at suburban and urban sites. Pollinator abundance and richness increased with V. germanica baiting. Native vespids had mixed results from baiting with suburban sites increasing in overall abundance and urban sites decreasing. These results indicate that suppressing dominant invasive wasps can facilitate native arthropod resurgence but also reveal context-dependent outcomes influenced by land use. Overall, this study underscores the complex and often mixed ecological consequences of invasive social insect management in human-influenced landscapes.
Recommended Citation
Promowicz, Jonathan M., "Impacts of German yellowjacket (Vespula germanica) removal on pollinator communities in Western New York" (2025). Biology Theses. 55.
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/biology_theses/55
