the damage caused by the woodpeckers to the nests. Human importance Pollinator It is thought that wasps and stingless bees were the first pollinators of the avocado, before the introduction of the European honeybee to the Americas. Brachygastra mellifica are pollinators because when they collect food for their larvae; they carry much pollen on their hairy head – including avocado pollen. They also carry pollen on their thorax and legs, and inside their unique thoracic cavities. While many other wasp species visit avocado flowers, they contribute less to pollination due to lower visitation rates and/or carrying less pollen on their bodies. Hunter of pest insects It has been suggested that B. mellifica can be used as a natural biological control agent. They offer many features, such as the ease of which the nests can be moved, the speediness of population growth, and the fact that closed system preservation is possible. One pest species of particular interest to scientists is Diaphorina citri, a very destructive pest of Citrus trees, which carries bacteria that make the fruit inedible and slowly kill the trees (citrus greening disease). Diaphorina citri is a major prey of B. mellifa and it would be beneficial to use these wasps to attack these pests. Honey production B. mellifica is one of few insects besides bees to create and store their own honey. Chromatographic analysis of B. mellifica honey showed 6/7 of the same peaks that appeared in honeybee mesquite honey. Melibiose is the only peak that did not occur in both honeys. Both the glucose and fructose content in B. mellifica honey are comparable to that of honeybee mesquite honey. The similarities in the two honeys substantiate the idea that these are foraging wasps, because honey stores come from multiple common floral sources, such as mesquite and sunflower. Source of food Brachygastra mellifica serve as a food source for the Popoloca Town of Los Reyes Metzontla, Mexico. The Popolucas have at least 17 species of insects in their diet, including B. mellifica and other wasps. The Spanish local name for this delicacy is "Panal Miniagua", and the Popoluca name is "Cuchii". They eat the honey and larvae of these wasps year round, but only harvest when the moon is between its last quarter and waning gibbous. According to traditional knowledge and experience, the nests are full of honey and larvae at this time. These insects can be cooked