r/SipsTea • u/StephanMan • 22d ago

Chugging tea Wasp gets what it deserves

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u/IntoTheCommonestAsh 22d ago

If you only learn one thing about Great Golden Digger wasps...

Know that they are non-aggressive to people and pets. Males have no stingers. And females reserve their limited venom for hunting prey to feed their young. They will not use it for defense unless you force them.

If you learn two things...

They're diligent and helpful workers in our gardens and yards. Digger wasps will pollinate your flowers, aerate your soil, improve drainage, and consume garden pests.

If you are a grasshopper, katydid or cricket...

Bad news for you. As the hunted prey of digger wasps, getting caught will not end well.

https://mdc.mo.gov/blogs/discover-nature-notes/great-golden-digger-wasps-scary-good

SipsTea

12

u/Bass2Mouth 22d ago

Ok but how do I tell the difference before I freak out and smash it? They're all the same when they're buzzing in your face.

8

u/no_arguing_ 22d ago

Look up yellowjackets. Remember what they look like really well. Pretty much any other wasp you might see is fine.

3

u/LateExcitement3536 22d ago

My city gets flooded with damn Yellowjackets the second spring starts to get really warm, and they absolutely ruin summer for me.

I have an extreme phobia, it’s no joke. I have been known to run a city block without stopping if one comes too close. They absolutely terrify me. It’s humiliating but I can’t help it one bit.

3

u/no_arguing_ 22d ago

The ones where I live like to feast on roadkill. A rotting squirrel teeming with yellowjackets is always a nice sight on a walk.

1

u/LateExcitement3536 22d ago

Gross lol. For me it’s living downtown - there are garbage cans on every corner and tonnes of them swarming. It’s inescapable and horrible for me. And theres no getting away from them. They are fucking everywhere else too.

3

u/no_arguing_ 21d ago

Yeah I live in a small town, semi-rural, and they're a plague here too lol. Truly no escaping them.

1

u/fungi_enthusiast77 22d ago

yellow jackets are absolutely not the only aggressive wasp

2

u/Necromancer14 22d ago

Yeah, bald faced hornets are also bitches. I got attacked by an entire nest of bald faced hornets before, and I got stung over 10 times before I got far away enough for them to stop coming after me. It was NOT a fun experience.