Parasitic wasps attack the fig wasp nursery inside the tree’s fruit. They drill into the fig using a long ovipositor — an egg-laying device that works like a hypodermic needle. Forced deep inside, the ovipositor will deposit one of the parasitic wasp’s eggs on a developing fig wasp. The grub that hatches will kill the fig wasp and take over its gall. However, if the parasites are too successful and no male fig wasps survive, they too are doomed, for they rely on their help to escape from the fig. Without them, they will be trapped inside, and die.