# Should I not be terrified of wasps, bees, hornets etc?



## Fergrim (Jun 29, 2004)

I have a phobia of wasps, bees, hornets and the like.. If I'm around and a yellow jacket flies by or if I'm near a nest and one comes near.. I flail like a three year old girl and run away.

I'm thinking that maybe if I could learn more about them I wouldn't be so frightened..  

Any lovers of these fine insects feel like educating me a bit?


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## spidergoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

Honeybees and Bumblebees are nice. Just sit still, they will walk on you for a while then fly away. Wasps and Hornets are malicious and will chase you down. Avoid the latter.

When younger, I made a scientific experiment to see if bees could still sting you if you put your bare foot on top of them. Turns out they can.  :8o


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## Elizabeth (Jun 29, 2004)

spidergoddess said:
			
		

> Wasps and Hornets are malicious and will chase you down.



Yeah, especially when you flail like a 3 yr old girl.  That makes 'em really mad!!!   :} 


I tend to think of wasps as simply more aggressive since they don't have to lose their lives in order to sting you. I avoid confrontation, which means I walk away from them every time if they are a social wasp.  (Whole colony, as many stings as they want = me outta there!)  On the other hand, if I believe I am looking at a solitary (lifestyle) wasp, I think those just aren't as aggressive. If they take on a battle and lose, there goes the whole family just about! So I figure they have better reasons to be more mellow when encountering odd life forms like us humans...

Someone else will have to help you be more relaxed around wasps like yellow jackets...


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## jezzy607 (Jun 29, 2004)

A solitary wasp will not protect her nest because she can just build a new one. As long as she is still alive, she can continue to build nests.  Most solitary wasps just lay an egg, provision the future larvae with enough food to complete its development, and then move on and repeats this behavior until it dies.  It does not have to be there for the larvae during the larvae development, so the time and energy investment is very little.  For social wasps, this is completely opposite, hence the stronger tendency for defensive behavior.

Social wasps are only defensive when they "think" that their nest is in danger, or that they themselves are in immediate danger.  However many of the Vespula spp. "yellowjackets" are very "curious" and buzz around humans because they associate us with, or sense food.  You will notice in temperate areas that yellowjackets only do this in the late summer and fall, because it is then when worker populations are high, and the need for carbs is highest, the rest of the year they are busy foraginging for nest materials and other insects such as flies and catepillars to feed to their developing larvae.

I can tell you pretty much anything you want to know about the social wasps(not to be too unmodest or anything), so feel free to ask more questions.


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## Highlander (Jun 29, 2004)

I just stand still for all of them and it works for me.Just think of them as emps with wings(since the sting is suppose to be about the same)hope you get over your phobia 



                               Fellow scorp fan,
                                    Jonathan/Highlander


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## Fergrim (Jun 30, 2004)

So you would consider them only defensive, not aggressive in their own right?

My girlfriend's shed on the inside is crawling with wasps.. nests all over.. yellow jackets too, I think.    She has no problem walking in, getting what she needs and leaving.. even turning on a lawn mower and backing it out..

Me.. I can't even go in without freaking out..  

And you know, it's the wings that scare me.. An emperor scorpion at least stays put.. hehe, he won't come flying at my face


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## jezzy607 (Jun 30, 2004)

Yes, they are defensive not aggressive.  Yellowjackets build carton nests, in which you can not see the inside brood combs.  Paper wasps build exposed single combs.  There is a Paper wasp that is yellow and black and looks just like a yellowjacket, but a little longer and thinner, this is the european paper wasp Polistes dominulus.


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## Elizabeth (Jun 30, 2004)

Thanks, jezzy!  I feel a little more comfort from your answers (although the shed still sounds like a place I would NOT go into).  I love your other thread, about wasp and bee appreciation.  Those pictures are great.


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## Chris14 (Jun 30, 2004)

I too, used to be like you Fergrim. When I was younger(10 and younger) I used to flail like mad and run away and hide behind my parents when I saw those huge manacing bumblebees(in reality, cute little balls of yellow and black fluff! LOL), but over time I grew better with them. I had let a yellow jacket walk on me once, and that made it much better to go by since I stayed still. Over time I became better. Now I will close my hand around a flower with a bumblebee in it, and slowly pull my hand back. The bumblebee will move out of the flower and remain in my hand. Sometimes they buzz around in my hand(as stated,  only It's life is at risk(not the colony) and if it stings its dead so it wont sting), sometimes when I open my hand they will just fly away quickly, and sometimes they sit on my hand for a sec! Its the cutest thing! I have actually petted a few before. I have done this over 50 times, and have not gotten stung. The only time I got stung, I was wearing a biking glove and the glove was too big for my hand and started to squish the bee so it stung me. But if you dont do anything crazy or stupid, you should be fine. I find yellow jackets ok, and I will usually just walk away a couple feet, shoo them away(gently), or just stand there and admire it. HORNETS(those big, stupid, agressive, murderous, crappy, annoying big black and white things, I HATE THEM) are a different storry. I have had hornets simply fly up to me and sting me and walk away. Actually, I just got back from a trip on sunday, and the first 5 minutes of being back I was walking in one direction and a hornet comes right behind me and stings me in the ankle! I also had another one bite me in the back of my head when I was bending down. I have been chased a couple times too. They cant go more than 20 km/h when flying so if you can run faster(I can run 25km/h), you shouldn't have to worry bout them! LOL. Yellow jackets have a maximum speed of 15km/h, so most people can "out jog" them. 

Story time: [Dont try this at home, or dont accidentally do this I mean]

I was at my acreage in the woods, and was cutting trees. I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. I was standing there, and saw an old rotten stump infront of me. I swung at it at an angle right in the middle of the thing. BIG MISTAKE! First thing I know pain shooting through my right leg, I  turn to look at the back of it and there are 5 yellow jackets on there working at KILLING my leg! I got a couple bites and 5 stings. Then I drop the ax(O yah, I cut a wasp nest in half! LOL) and bolt! Just as Im starting I get another sting in the back of my leg. I was about 12 feet from the nest. The next foot of distance I ran I snapped a dead 2 inch tree with my chest(OUCH!), and the next thing you know I was flying through the woods in my acreage at about 600km/h!(well no but I was moving fast, like almost as fast as I could) and there were trees and bushes and I was doging stuff. When I was about 30 feet away from the nest I looked back(while running) and saw a swarm of wasps rise into the air(about 200) and start flying all over the place with about 50 comming in my direction. Anyways, the moral of the story is be careful with tools! LOL.

But as you can see from my bumblebee experiences they are all great! I would jut worry about large white and black hornets. My dog even has problems with them(and he goes "hunting" for bees and wasps and is VERY expericed, LOL. Good luck with overcoming your fear! I will see If I can find one of the pictures I have of me holding a bumble bee! 

C.


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## Elizabeth (Jun 30, 2004)

(Forget it! Any feelings of "more comfort" instantly gone with Chris's story!)


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## Chris14 (Jun 30, 2004)

Haha, that was a bad and STUPID action of mine! It was entirely my fault! I should have inspected the surroundings and the stump before swinging the ax at a michelaneous stump! LOL. Do not worry, they are great little bugs! 

Cheers!

C.


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## jezzy607 (Jun 30, 2004)

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a hornets nest near where you got stung.  The nests can be surprisingly hard to see and find.  The white faced or bald faced hornet is actually a large species of yellowjacket(Dolichovespula maculata), the true hornets are in the genus Vespa and are native to the old world, but there has been one introduced here from Europe, the giant hornet Vespa crabro.


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## Wade (Jul 1, 2004)

It is only the honeybee that dies after stinging, bumblebees and others can sting multiple times.

What many people call "bumblebees" are actually carpenter bees, which are solitary bees and so are not aggressive, but will buzz about menacingly. 

Wade


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## spidergoddess (Jul 1, 2004)

Wade said:
			
		

> It is only the honeybee that dies after stinging, bumblebees and others can sting multiple times.
> 
> What many people call "bumblebees" are actually carpenter bees, which are solitary bees and so are not aggressive, but will buzz about menacingly.
> 
> Wade


  Menacingly???? All this time I thought they were buzzing about cheerfully, little fuzzy friends...


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## Wade (Jul 1, 2004)

I guess it depends upon how you feel about bees. Many people are intimidated by a bee the size of a grape hovering around their head.

Wade


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 1, 2004)

Well, I'm wondering are yellowjackets/wasps/hornets in the US actually more aggressive than those in the Old World, especially east Asia? I seem to hear so many horror stories about attacks there.   

In my own experience here, they never attack unprovoked. Sometimes when observing them in the nest site they circle me, apparently out of curiousity, and have never stung. Still, when that happens I slowly raise my fists to protect my face and move back slowly and calmly. And when away from the nest, they are completely unlikely to attack at all. I sometimes even trap them for a while, then lure them on my finger with honey to photograph them. 

First pic: Vespa bicolor. This is a Vespa (hornet) species, but here in Hong Kong seems to behave like a giant yellowjacket in Autumn   (most other wasps here are not attracted to human food and are usually found in forest)

Second: Polistes gigas

Third, fourth, fifth: Carpenter bees. These are some of the sweetest insects in my opinion, working with them is a pleasure. The one in the fourth picture is a female, the other 2 are males (that's why I could gently grip them to restrain them!)


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## Elizabeth (Jul 1, 2004)

Wade, I didn't know that about only honeybees losing the stingers, not other bees.  Are most of the bees that one sees going from flower to flower honeybees?  I can tell the "flower" bees from the carpenter bees (BIG grapes!).  However, I also see variation (colors,patterns) amongst those smaller bees.  All the bees seem so mellow compared to the wasps (social)...


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## Wade (Jul 1, 2004)

I'm no bee expert, but generally honeybees are the medium-sized yellow and black ones, much smaller than the bumbles or carpenters, but bigger than some of the other natives. 

Annother thing to keep in mind is that only females sting, because the stinger is a modified ovipositor. Not really relavant with social species since the males die shortly after mating, but in solitary species males live on. If you want to impress the heck out of a bunch of kids, snatch a male carpenter bee out of the air with your hand and make sure they all hear it buzzing before you release it. Freaks 'em out every time. The males are recognizable because they have a white blotch in the middle of their face that is clearly visible.

Wade


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## jezzy607 (Jul 1, 2004)

vespa_bicolor said:
			
		

> Well, I'm wondering are yellowjackets/wasps/hornets in the US actually more aggressive than those in the Old World, especially east Asia? I seem to hear so many horror stories about attacks there.


They are slightly more defensive than the Vespa, at least Vespa crabro, but for the most part it is an extreme phobia that everyone seems to have.  I have stood right beneath many D. maculata nests(our "hornet") and only got stung once because I bumped a branch that bumped the nest, which pissed them off.  I have also stood over many yellowjacket nests(watching them enter and leave their nest) and I have never got stung!  I have touched(I do not reccommend this!) a native paper wasp nest and was not attacked!  The introduced Polistes dominulus is very defensive of its' nest.

The sheer number of yellowjackets searching for carbohydrates in late summer and fall can be very intimidating, especially near garbage cans and dumpsters, this usually results in irrational fear for them, but I am not going to deny that they are super annoying.  The best thing to do, but many people refuse to do so, is to avoid eating or drinking sweets outdoors at that time of year.


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## Wade (Jul 1, 2004)

I think the fact that yellowjackets often nest in the gound, unseen, results in many people disturbing the nests unknowingly. This makes them seem more aggressive since it's easy to stand right on top of them without knowing until it's too late.

Wade


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## Zach33 (Jul 1, 2004)

My father has two honey bee hives in the backyard.  This bee is more of a dull yellow or blonde.  Definately easy to tell the color difference between it and a bumble bee.  These bees are well mannered and typically do not get in a craze unless we screw with the hives.  I have no problem walking up to the hives with a T shirt on, unless we are disturbing the hives, then I wear a suit.

Yellow jackets, on the other hand, are too curious for me.  Although they may not be in "attack mode", I do not like it when they follow me around.  I typically destroy all the nests I can find around the garage and shed.  I've had a few bad childhood experiences, and now I hold a grudge.  Its not uncommon to find me with some starter fluid and a lighter.  ;P


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## Highlander (Jul 1, 2004)

Cool pics Vespa Bicolor


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 2, 2004)

Highlander >> Thanks!

Chris14 >> I'm itching to see pics of the bumblebee   Unfortunately they are super rare in Hong Kong, only recently did I learn that there is one species here, but it's very rare and generally only seen in the cold part of spring.


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 2, 2004)

Wade said:
			
		

> If you want to impress the heck out of a bunch of kids, snatch a male carpenter bee out of the air with your hand and make sure they all hear it buzzing before you release it. Freaks 'em out every time. The males are recognizable because they have a white blotch in the middle of their face that is clearly visible.
> Wade


Hey...LOL... that is indeed a cool trick that never failed to freak out my friends! Especially during my years in Singapore. It seems like in Singapore, the flying insect many people fear most is the carpenter bee (which they call a hornet)!


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## Fergrim (Jul 2, 2004)

I've always been told that they don't sting at all (carpenter bees) and yeah.. for some reason, I've always been convinced that any waspy looking stinging insect (like wasps, hornets, yellow jackets etc) (sorry I don't know scientific names) around me is going to sting me like crazy.

I've only been stung once in my life and it was by some yellow jackets.   I was in a tire swing and swinging around.. realized tooo late that there was a nest inside the swing and as I was helpless due to the speed of the swing they swarmed my leg and stung me.

Since then, I've been terrified.


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## Fergrim (Jul 2, 2004)

oh.. and all of this information has been really helpful.. I find all the "bee" discussion to be very interesting..  and vespa.. holding what you hold.. I could never ever imagine myself doing that.. no way


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## Melmoth (Jul 2, 2004)

I've caught and released by hand many honey,carpenter,bumble bees which have got into the house.Never been stung as yet.I would never attempt this with wasps. They always get the glass and piece of cardboard treatment  
          Vespa- great pics
           Wade- thanks for info on carpenter/bumble bees


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 2, 2004)

So far from gentle handling, I've only been stung twice, once by a hornet and another by a carpenter bee. Entirely my fault though, it was because I accidentally squeezed their legs. But there are some exceptions to the rule about bees and wasps, one of which is the giant honeybee (Apis / Megapis dorsata) from Southeast Asia; in Singapore it is the most aggressive and dangerous stinging insect next to the tropical hornets! I've never seen a nest myself, but I'd love to   

Sorry, just found this pic back, hope you guys are not getting tired of my pics anyway


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## Fergrim (Jul 3, 2004)

defnitely not.  Very very cool. 

So recently I've not been running away from every stinging insect I see.  Just today a friend and I were smoking the ghanja and there was a yellowjacket hanging out near us..  So we took turns blowing smoke at it, and soon it just sat still and hung out too.  Didn't bother us at all 

I think it was one of those solitary ones, because it kept going in and out of a little crack in the cement of the baseball dugout we were in.


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 3, 2004)

Fergrim said:
			
		

> defnitely not.  Very very cool.
> 
> So recently I've not been running away from every stinging insect I see.  Just today a friend and I were smoking the ghanja and there was a yellowjacket hanging out near us..  So we took turns blowing smoke at it, and soon it just sat still and hung out too.  Didn't bother us at all
> 
> I think it was one of those solitary ones, because it kept going in and out of a little crack in the cement of the baseball dugout we were in.


Oh...hehehe...that's interesting!  
Sorry, just curious, ghanja as in marijuana? I've only noticed the effect of tobacco smoke on some of these insects... once I was smoking under a tree and a male carpenter bee which had been hovering around ( probably territorial behavious ) hit my smoke stream and fell to the ground! He stayed motionless for some time and I kind of felt bad, so I put him onto a leaf, and he recovered and started flying again after a couple of minutes. Quite interesting to notice. If only it had that effect on those irritating mosquitos.. for some reason the nice harmless insects seemed to get knocked down but the smoke had no effect on the annoying ones!


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## Highlander (Jul 3, 2004)

> and vespa.. holding what you hold.. I could never ever imagine myself doing that.. no way


 Alot of peolpe would say the same thing about your scorps.Most of are fears about bugs are all in our mind.


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 3, 2004)

Lol....very true. I have never ever worked with my scorpions without my 11 inch forceps, and I never ever dared to even touch a centipede, except one that had its fangs clipped.


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## Highlander (Jul 3, 2004)

> I never ever dared to even touch a centipede, except one that had its fangs clipped.


 You can clip their fangs?


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 3, 2004)

Highlander said:
			
		

> You can clip their fangs?


Some of those sold in Hong Kong/China/Singapore or elsewhere in Asia, used for fishing or food for pet fish, actually had their fangs clipped.

I bought a huge one the other day only to find that its fangs were clipped.


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## Fergrim (Jul 3, 2004)

and by ghanja I did mean marijuana.   It seemed to have a calming effect on it.  Put the little guy right to sleep.   He didn't fall, just took a seat.  I'm considering testing the effects on Jules, my emperor.

And I wouldn't handle most scorpions, but the emperor scorps are really docile.  You can't -get- them to sting you, hehe.  

It's odd that the biggest baddest looking scorpion is the most docile of all.  An six inch bug with huge pinchers a wicked looking tail, jet black and 8 legs.. it's like a big ol' baby


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 4, 2004)

Oh OK... probably that's why he just went to sleep


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## Fergrim (Jul 4, 2004)

Oddly enough, I got stung for the first time in 14 years today!  A friend and I were driving in his car and I had my arm out the window.. I felt something slam into my wrist and as I looked around to see what it was.. I put my arm down.. on top of a bumblebee which stung me pretty good on the wrist.

Oh man, it hurt..

but I can proudly say... I didn't cry!


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 4, 2004)

Woah! Was it because you put your arm on the bee?

Lol... I'm curious to know how a bumblebee sting feels like anyway, since they're so rare here!


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## Fergrim (Jul 4, 2004)

Yes, it stung me because I put my arm down on top of it (on my lap).  And well... it felt like a honey bee sting would I guess.. It was sharp electric shock zapping sensation.. and then a burning, sharp pain where I was stung and radiating around that area..feeling of bruised..  a raised lump with a large red rash around it for maybe 15 minutes 5 minutes into the sting..  And then it all went away and now I just feel a little sore in the sting area.

Vespa, you have AIM or MSN?  I'd love to talk bees with you on there, lol.  Plus I'm thinking of visiting HK and would love to talk to a local about it.


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## Fergrim (Jul 4, 2004)

and isn't it surprising that second hand smoke of any type would have an effect on these insects?


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 4, 2004)

Oh OK, I guess it's like a honeybee sting or that from a solitary bee then.

Unfortunately, I don't have AIM or MSN. I only have ICQ and mIRC. You can also email or PM me anytime.

Cheers


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## Fergrim (Jul 6, 2004)

I'd like to point out that the bumblebee sting didn't make me cry.


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## Immortal_sin (Jul 8, 2004)

I love honeybees...here is a pic of one that Shelby and I rescued out of the hotel pool at the ATS conference.
Anytime we see a honeybee drowning, we save them. Watching them dry themselves is an amazing event worth watching. They wash every bit of their bodies, polishing their eyes, and unrolling their probiscus (sp?), to clean it. It's just fascinating. Finally, they test their wings by fanning and hovering, until they are dry enough to fly away. 
Sorry for the poor pic, my cam doesn't have a decent macro on it. 
As far as the yellowjackets go...I can't stand them. I seem to always get stung!
Last summer, Shelby accidentally sprayed a water hose on an underground nest. She got stung 8 times in the legs, abdomen, and arms, before she was able to get away. They chased her all the way into the house. Luckily, she wasn't allergic to them.


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## Fergrim (Jul 8, 2004)

awww..

I'm always afraid that a drowning bee will sting me if I try to save it since it'll be freaking out.

I'm really loving the pictures on this thread.. I want to hold a bee!


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 8, 2004)

Some of my best honeybee shots here!

The two night ones are especially weird. I may not know everything about bees, but I have observed them intensely for years, and this was the very first time I saw honeybees foraging at night!!


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## Immortal_sin (Jul 8, 2004)

Fergrim said:
			
		

> awww..
> 
> I'm always afraid that a drowning bee will sting me if I try to save it since it'll be freaking out.
> 
> I'm really loving the pictures on this thread.. I want to hold a bee!


I have found that they will cling to ANY saving object...I don't think they view it as a threat. I just remain calm and still, and they seem to also be calm as they clean themselves preparing for flight. I encourage you to do it...it's worth it!


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 9, 2004)

Saved a drowning hornet once too. But unfortunately I didn't have the presence of mind to stay still and observe it, I just coaxed it onto a branch and left, because I was in a hurry. No sting!

Lol... to sidetrack a bit, about three or four days ago I got stung by a paper wasp, after it got trapped in a bus! I wrapped a plastic bag over it but got stung on my index finger. Well it was worth it because I was still able to let the critter fly off back to the wild!


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## Fergrim (Jul 9, 2004)

I feel kind of bad now, after that bumblebee stung me... I kind of smashed the heck out of it. :/  

I'll be sure to save the next drowning bee I see.  I just saw a video of a bunch of hornets killing 30,000 bees.  Scary stuff!


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 9, 2004)

Kind of a reflex, I guess! Just as initially, many of us tend to fling a tarantula and kill it after getting bitten in the beginning. 

Oh, those clips are really spectacular. The hornet is really a killing machine for its size. Incidentally those are supposed to be the world's biggest hornets, and I'd love to see one of them in person. The hornets here in Hong Kong seem big enough!


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## Fergrim (Jul 9, 2004)

Oh man are you going to try and hold one of those huge hornets too?

With the way they bite bees in half... Do they try and bite people when they're angry too?  I wonder what that feels like...

but definitely, if I saw one of them drowning, I'd just let it go, lol.  Although it'd be neat to keep a self sustaining super hornet "colony" (proper term?)

Definitely cool


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 9, 2004)

I guess like other wasps, they will sometimes bite on and sting repeatedly when provoked! But if I see one, I will definitely hold it! It will be an experience, I'm sure; but all wasps and bees can be handled if calm and done gently! 

I wonder what that bite will feel like though; even a bite from a large ant's mandibles can hurt somewhat.


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## Immortal_sin (Jul 9, 2004)

vespa_bicolor said:
			
		

> I
> 
> I wonder what that bite will feel like though; even a bite from a large ant's mandibles can hurt somewhat.


that..is a major understatement!
I was bitten by 3 harvester ants in the desert last year. I can't remember feeling ANY stinging insect pain worse than that. They have huge jaws, and the venom is worse then some of the indigenous scorpions. Not an experience I want to repeat!


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 9, 2004)

Wow! That bad? Are they the type which bite and sting at the same time, or squirt acid into the wound?


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 10, 2004)

Just took a couple of pics today and couldn't resist posting here...hehe!

I especially like the third one, it's quite a nice view of Vespa velutina, a hornet commonly found here.


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## Fergrim (Jul 10, 2004)

that reminds me of the stories I've heard about the bullet ant..  That one that's bite supposedly hurts as much as a a gunshot wound..

And those pictures are awesome.


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## jezzy607 (Jul 10, 2004)

Both bullet ants and harvester ants can bite and sting.  The sting is what hurts.


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## vespa_bicolor (Jul 11, 2004)

*Giant hornet!!!!!*

Hi all,
I got so excited I couldn't help posting this!!! I found this really big hornet today!! Around 39 mm bodylength, it's the very biggest wasp I've ever seen. And I'm not sure what it is. Is it the legendary Vespa mandarinia, the hornet shown wiping out a colony of honeybees? The fully orange-yellow head is quite distinctive, and Vespa mandarinia is found in Hong Kong, according to some info I found online, but the body pattern is different. May be geographical variation though. Anyway here are the pics, hope you enjoy!      I brought her home to photograph, it's easier and clearer this way. She enjoyed a snack of honey spread on my fingers, and stayed on my hand for 15 minutes; my hand nearly got stiff from staying still so long!


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## Rex Libris (May 29, 2010)

I know this thread is ridiculously old, but it's amusing.

The thing is, the mosaic vision of these animals isn't very sharp. Those hundreds of ommatidia don't each resolve an image, just a spot of colour and brightness. This toy -- http://andygiger.com/science/beye/beyehome.html -- is not exactly accurate, but it's fun and will show you the point. The bee can't see where the edges of things are very well. Yet  bees and wasps and hornets are terribly busy rushing about. Most people get stung because they happen to be standing in the flight path of these animals and the bee, being so much in a hurry that it doesn't want to make a wide detour, misjudges trying to go around you and smacks right into you. Then both of you panic, and there's a little painful disaster.

This also explains why the little creatures will circle you in that alarming way.  And why the hymenoptera with larger eyes (most bees compared to most wasps) are less apt to circle you as much. And why bumblebees, who move slowly, seldom sting unless you mess with them.


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