[Q] Repulsing wasps

[paigetheoracle]

I've noticed that if a wasp is coming towards me and I hold it in my stare, I can repulse it. Has anyone else noticed a similar talent and if so what could be the explanation for it?

[Boerseun]

I've noticed that if a wasp is coming towards me and I hold it in my stare, I can repulse it. Has anyone else noticed a similar talent and if so what could be the explanation for it?

Coz you uglee! LOLZ!

 

Ahem... on a more serious note, I suppose it is because wasps normally box in their own weight class and won't come for a human in any case - unless you threaten it. Then it probably only stings in self defense. If you stand still and a wasp flies by, it probably thinks you're too big to swallow and just carries on. Same with spiders and snakes - you're waaaay to big for them to even think of eating you (okay - forget about evil rainforest anacondas, boa constrictors etc.) and they normally only chow down on you if you accidentally step on them or threaten them in any way.

[Cedars]

You are not moving now and no longer appear/maybe a threat.

Or your no longer moving and therefore not kicking up/exposing prey (dragonflies hunt around us while roaming the meadows because we stir up and attract their prey).

[Moontanman]

If you really believe you can do this I suggest the following experiment. Find a good healthy nest of wasps, Bald Faced Hornets with do, take a short, 24", stick and poke the nest, then try to stare them away. Oh if you are allergic to bee stings I wouldn't advise doing this. If wasps aren't handy a nest of bumble bees can work as well.

 

Actually I think Boerseun has a pretty good handle on this, wasps do not attack people who are not messing with thier nests or with the individual wasp in some serious way. By standing still you are showing the wasp you are not a threat. If you poke a nest of bees, wasps, hornets, or other stinging colonial insects standing still and staring will not help unless you really do posses some special powers.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

wasps do not attack people who are not messing with thier nests or with the individual wasp in some serious way

Generalizations are dangerous things:naughty:

I've been stung whilst minding my own business floatin round in me pool:(

[Moontanman]

Generalizations are dangerous things:naughty:

I've been stung whilst minding my own business floatin round in me pool:(

 

It's not a generalization, I used to be a bee keeper, I've trained several species of wasps to tolerate my presence. Most wasp "attacks" are wasps doing their natural thing of grabbing biting flies and mosquitoes off the skin of people and animals, smack one while she is doing this and you might get pricked! Now it is true that in the fall when wasps become unemployed they can be quite cranky, especially yellow jackets, but even then you have to interact with them in some way to get stung, they do not just fly down and sting you for no reason.

[freeztar]

Now it is true that in the fall when wasps become unemployed they can be quite cranky, especially yellow jackets, but even then you have to interact with them in some way to get stung, they do not just fly down and sting you for no reason.

 

It's happened to me with Yellow Jackets in the fall (last year). A colleague and I noticed a swarm of yellow jackets around their nest directly in front of where we needed to go. As I stood there watching, I saw one fly right towards me. Fortunately it landed on my thumb and stung me there (much less painful).

 

Now, it could have been that a dog had come to the nest earlier and disturbed it. But then, all bets are off and any intruder within 200 ft. of the hive is likely to be stung, even if they are just standing there. Especially, as you say, when they are "unemployed".

 

I also had a honeybee sting me. It flew to me and landed on my arm and immediately stung me without provocation. No nest in site, no swarm, just a misguided bee. :phones:

 

But I do agree that minding your own business and leaving them alone is effective in preventing stings most of the time.

[Moontanman]

I guess there is an exception to every rule, you'd have loved the nest of paper wasps I habituated to allow me to pet them. These paper wasps are the meanest bastards there are and they sting hard, the sting usually bleeds profusely. But I got them used to me over time until i was able to stroke the females as they sat on the nest. some of them would fly and lite on me but no biting or stinging. It took me several years to get a nest like this. The same species would build a nest in the same place every year and I slowly got to know what set them off and what didn't until finally I could stroke them without being stung.