Wasps! Why are people so freakin' afraid?

Akrasia

Samaris wrote: »

I would think, especially from someone's comment earlier about "the Irish fear" of them that it is a lot to do with our very safe country. Certainly when most of us were growing up (dramatic tales of daddy-long-legs aside), the most dangerous creature in the wild pretty much was a wasp! Plus they are very fast, reasonably aggressive, fearless, have that warning buzz designed to cause alarm in potential predators, the warning black and yellow stripes, the downright creepy semi-detached lower body, oh, and the arsedagger.

As regards the colouration, we, (along with other predator species) do have a certain inbuilt recognition of natural warning signs in other species - red and black/yellow are amongst them.

Countries that have plate-sized venomous spiders cba worrying about wasps in comparison.

wasps don't buzz to cause alarm, they buzz because their wings flap a gazillion times a second while they're hovering there looking for the most painful place to sting you multiple times

X6.430macman

Akrasia wrote: »

wasps don't buzz to cause alarm, they buzz because their wings flap a gazillion times a second while they're hovering there looking for the most painful place to sting you multiple times

cool

LuckyLloyd

Has to be said, I'm a huge fan of the small guard of spiders that live in my house keeping it wasp and fly free. Grinds my gears when my housemates want to kill them. Poor underappreciated fans of man are spiders.

Mr E

I posted this in a private forum about 5 years ago, I think it's a good time to dig it up.

Me, 5 Years Ago wrote:

So I had a pretty crappy day in work and decided that I'd go for a run around the block at 6:30. Nice easy 5k run to clear the cobwebs.

Half way around something flew into my mouth and got stuck in my throat. A fly I assumed. After a couple of coughs I managed to spit him out and saw it was a wasp. I thought wow.. that was lucky. He didn't sting me. 20 seconds later my tongue started tingling, and a minute later it was friggin' sore. 10 minutes later and I had the sore throat from hell. Little bastard....

How unlucky do you have to be to swallow a ****ing wasp at the end of September (when they should all be dead), and then have the little PRICK sting you on the back of your bloody tongue?

Went to the chemist on the way home to get some anti-inflammatory oral spray. First pharmacist made that "O" shape with her mouth when I told her what happened. She went back to ask her colleague about a treatment, and she made the same "O" mouth.

"If you have an allergic reaction tonight and have trouble breathing, you'll have to go to the hospital for a steroid shot". That'd be just my luck.

They'll go home tonight - "How was your day?" - "Funny story, you'll never guess what happened to some poor bastard tonight...."

No doubt they'll make that "O" shape too.

Needless to say, I'm one of those people who flails like a lunatic whenever I see one of those little bastards.

Feck off, wasp.

cocaliquid

degsie wrote: »

What's the deal here? Why are ppl so freaked out by wasps? Don't get it.

Story in the papers today about a boy getting knocked down while running away from an 'angry' wasp. He had a sandwich in his hands which apparently angered the wasp.

Because males are no longer masculine. There was a time when men would kill wasp's with there bare hands and not run away like little girls. Men nowadays show there Masculinity my growing there perfectly groomed beards.

Gerry Rio

I havent read the whole thread but do they still fit into the food chain? In other words, if they all dissapeared tomorrow would it have serious implications?

ShaShaBear

Gerry Rio wrote: »

I havent read the whole thread but do they still fit into hte food chain? In other words, if they all dissapeared tomorrow would it have serious implications?

People could enjoy sunshine in Ireland without fear.

Gerry Rio

ShaShaBear wrote: »

sunshine in Ireland

Im sorry, but whats that?

ShaShaBear

Gerry Rio wrote: »

Im sorry, but whats that?

The day the Leaving Cert starts. Once every 30 years, also the first day of school.

caff

Gerry Rio wrote: »

I havent read the whole thread but do they still fit into hte food chain? In other words, if they all dissapeared tomorrow would it have serious implications?

They eat other insects for the most part, some species pollinate also so losing them would be quite detrimental.

SurferRosa

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

can't stand it when parents freak out with wasps around their kids and pass on the stupid fear

I totally get this - it's exactly what I've done and I feel so bad.
I didn't always fear wasps. I was a tomboy and was always really fascinated with insects.
Went to Germany as a kid at 12 (half German and staying with grandparents for a good while)
It was August and wasps were dying out/ getting aggressive. There were warnings on the radio and all. Can't quite pinpoint how the fear started but I know I became paranoid that they were everywhere.
Like all phobias - or most - my fear is totally irrational. I hate seeing pictures of them and I do very annoyingly freak out ( if I can escape) . If I can't escape I sit there with my fingers in my ears silently crying in terror.
I wish so much I wasn't like this. It's strange, I love spiders, would have huge ones in my hands. Most insects I can at least deal with even if I'm not keen on them. Even bees don't have me as scared though I got stung 3 times by a bee and only once by a wasp.
Anyway I have 3 kids and I've not managed to control my reactions very well. My 7 year old is now very nervous. I hate that he has this fear. I make more effort to stay calm these days but it's too late now .
My toddler got stung there a few weeks ago when I was out with the kids and the dog. She's standing there minding her own business (almost 3 years old ) when she starts screaming. Wasp stuck in her forehead stinging her. It got stuck though. Normally I abandon my kids when wasps are near (well kind of) but this time I had to act and had to help,her. It took 3 whacks to get wasp off. Its stinger got left behind. (Deffo a wasp not bee though ) Daughter hysterical. Had to walk home her screaming, my 2 boys crawling along with their caterpillar hoarde ( they had been collecting them and they were also black,with yellow stripes eww ), 7 months pregnant.
Didn't cure my fear, though there's so many of them now, I can only maintain a high state of terror for so long and eventually start trying to swat them or keep my distance once they keep away from me!
Can't wait for them all to die out!

wendell borton

If your afraid of wasps give bottle banks a wide berth as they're crawling with wasps this time of year.

Spanish Eyes

What purpose do wasps serve? Do they help with pollinating things? do they make lovely honey, what do they do?

But their stings are nothing like the horsefly bites I got last year. OMG. Think bitten parts twice the size of normal and so itchy and sore and red and whatnot. The worst thing is, them horseflies are bugg ers at night time, and you can't see them either. Horrible things.

Sorry to go off topic, but there are worse stings than wasps!

mohawk

miezekatze wrote: »

Wasps usually don't sting unless you provoke them.

Provoke them!! I was once sunbathing in the back garden when all of a sudden I felt a very intense stabbing pain in my finger and I looked down to find some jerk wasp was responsible. I can't relax around them any more.

They are EVIL. They don't even make honey the jerks.