this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2024
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Shitty wasps like Yellow Jackets give almost all the other wasps a bad reputation. Yellow Jackets are mean and spiteful, even when they aren't protecting their nest.
Most other eusocial wasps are pretty docile, unless you mess with their nest or really go out of your way to harass them.
In many parts of the world, like my own, there are far more species of solitary wasps than eusocial wasps. Solitary wasps are nearly all non-aggressive, they don't have communal nests to defend, and they basically don't have time to fuck around with stinging shit because they are too busy building a chamber for their eggs, collecting food for their upcoming progeny, and trying to stay fed and hydrated while doing it.
So what I'm getting at is that most wasps I encounter on a regular basis are pretty chill. Really, this goes for bees as well. Most of the ones I see on a regular basis are solitary types and non-aggressive. The most aggressive bees I tend to encounter are male carpenter bees. They are highly territorial and they'll even buzz a human to scare them off. However, there's no threat. Male bees and wasps cannot sting, they do not even have stingers.
No threat of stinging, anyway. They will absolutely wreak havoc on a wood framed house.
bzzzzbzzzBZZZZZ
Yes, sir, I see you. I see your little pile of sawdust on the fence, too. No, I'm not going to screw with it. I'm just installing this gate latch."
bzzzbzbbzbbzbzbzbzbzzzzz
This would go a lot faster if I didn't have to keep ducking.
BZZZZZZ
Okay, I'm done, jeez.
BZZZZZzzzbzzzz^bzzzz^
...aaaaand under the fascia board it goes. Shit.
As far as I'm aware, it's the females that dig the holes in wood as a nesting chamber, not the males. So I don't think the males are even a thread to a wood framed house.
~~The females wouldn't be a threat either if the males could just learn to keep it in their pants~~
Technically correct is the best kind of correct.
We have paper wasps around here. They bump you before they sting you. Like “hey bump we got a nest here bump stay away bump” I’ve only been stung when I was shaking something out next to a nest and they saw it as aggressive + too close.
Yep, lots of bees and wasps do this because they don't actually want to sting defensively if it can be avoided, so they are merely trying to intimidate a potential threat. Unfortunately, it's very common for people to panic and behave erratically in response, and that tends to make the critters feel like they are in danger, so they do end up stinging. It basically becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.
I love carpenter bees. ❤️
You like having your property destroyed?
No, of course not. I've put out traps for them before. Then we're really bad when I first moved into this house and I killed a lot the first two years I lived here. I rarely see them now but I still see them occasionally. If their numbers get crazy again I'll put traps out again. For better or worse they're the most common solitary bee in my area. I probably see at least 10x as many carpenter bees as bumble bees. I know because I'm always looking for those fuzzy butts lol.
Fair enough, seeing an occasional one is fine. I moved into a house with an infestation a while back, there were hundreds of them living in the porch rafters. There were dozens of them swarming the porch at any given time during the day.
Traps did nothing for me. I used liquid nails and filled in their holes at night while they were sleeping. 10% would chew their way back out, so I repeated until they were gone.
I don't mind bees in general, but I have a distaste for carpenter bees after that experience.
That's fair! The only traps I had success with were this type which I got from Lowe's. https://beesnthings.com/collections/carpenter-bee-trap the ones with the jars weren't as attractive.
And yes, I definitely experienced much frustration those first few years. I also plugged some holes only to find they are through it lmao.