University study shows wasp mothers' ingenuity when feeding their young

INTELLIGENT insects in Surrey have shown stunning brainpower when it comes to feeding their young.

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A new study carried out on digger wasps living on heathland in the county shows they make a short burrow for each egg, stocking it with food and returning a few days later to provide more.

It reveals mother wasps can remember the locations of up to nine separate nests at once, rarely making mistakes despite the fact nests are dug in bare sand containing hundreds belonging to other females.

Mothers feed their young in age order, adjusting the order if one dies, and they can even delay feeding offspring that had more food at the first visit.

Their intricate scheduling reduces the chance that offspring starve.