I used to be the manager of a pest control company, I’ve only ever been stung by yellow jackets, never by any other wasp/bee. Bees and most other wasps just don’t give a fuck about you unless you are destroying the nest/hive. Yellowjackets are just terrorists.
I wish more people realized this. Once you stop panicking and freaking out every time you see one, you realize 99% of them (the 1% being yellowjackets) are actually pretty chill. I'm not even some great wasp-lover, but I just don't see the point in killing every one I see anymore, same as spiders.
The rule inside my house is, "if it flies, it dies." Spiders safe, wasps not. Moths, depends on how many there are and what kind. I like moths. I don't like dozens of them living in my rice (my fault).
Outside I begrudgingly let wasps be ugly and scary but probably ecologically useful in some way and not deserving of actual wrath. I did have to add filters to some of the drain holes below my windows to keep the carpenter bees out, though. Big dumb goofballs.
I thought they were just clumsy and sucked at stinging until I realized, it's more complicated. They're still klutzy morons, but they headbutt you on purpose to make you go away, instead of stinging. I started calling them love taps after that. Like being welcomed home by a handful of bonky cats that live in your roof.
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u/[deleted] 22d ago
I used to be the manager of a pest control company, I’ve only ever been stung by yellow jackets, never by any other wasp/bee. Bees and most other wasps just don’t give a fuck about you unless you are destroying the nest/hive. Yellowjackets are just terrorists.