I’ve heard that they pollinate similar to bees so why are wasps so evil compared to bees is this just a conditioning thing “these are cute so they’re great and wasps are ugly so they suck”?
In: Biology
Wasps tend to be a bit more aggressive when they attack than bees. First off? They tend to bite more, which is already problematic enough, but more importantly, their stingers aren’t barbed. When a bee stings you, it has a barb on it so the stinger is more likely to dig deep and stay stuck there, where it will then steadily load the would be attacker with venom while the bee flies off and dies. A wasp, however, doesn’t have this barb, so it instead can – and will – sting you multiple times to get the venom inside you and the message across. This can make them seem more generally aggressive because to us humans, allergies aside, a single bee sting can usually seem a tad more manageable than say, 15 or more wasp stings because one is localized on a single area, while the other could be all over your body. Wasps also tend to be bigger than bees and therefore have more of an intimidating presence than their bee cousins.
That said I typically find Wasps to be just as docile as long as I’m not too close to their nest-
No. Wait. Important side note before I close this out. Wasps, especially paper wasps, tend to build nests where there is more useable material, which tends to be where there is undisturbed wood or pulp. Most flower seeking bees won’t build a nest in your shed ( though some do, and the less disturbed the better because hey, it’s safe from almost all predators that aren’t other bugs and eventually, humans ) but wasps see that softer, rotting wood and literally eat it right up to build a home right in your home. Which is arguably the only worse place they could build a nest aside from right under your feet, which they also can do. So wasps are also considered more problematic due to their location too. If you see a bee flying around in your hone, you usually think it flew in, and might stay away from trees and carefully check the brickwork for a rogue nest. You see a wasp and you can’t be so sure that it’s not literally living in some weird nook or in your wall.
Okay but that aside, I don’t mind wasps too much because territory aside, a lot of them aren’t much more aggressive than bees normally. They will definitely drink water right out of a cup you offer them, if it’s a warm summer day. They’ll stand right on your finger and literally drink the water right off of it if you wanna be bold. Just try not to flinch and startle it because that up close and personal, it will bite if startled, but like many other insects, if you can afford to just leave it alone, you’re fine. See it inside your house, and that’s a problem. In the wild? Nah. Just watch where you step and stick to the pathways so you don’t step in a foot full of wasp nest. Also if you do see a wasp nest outside while shopping, try and let the property owner ( or a nearby store manager ) know so they can get it removed and or relocated without potentially harming any children, pets, etc in your area.
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