Wasps are feared and hated. Granted they do sting if you disturb them but that is no reason to fear them. In this post I will look at 10 wasp myths that will surprise you. Armed with this new knowledge I hope that you will learn to either like wasps or at least hate them less.
As a general background review of wasp facts have a look at Understanding Wasps – They Are Not Evil!
Wasp Myths
This list of wasp myths are the ones that I was able to find. If you know of others please post a comment and tell us about them.
Wasp Stings Do Not Hurt
When a wasp stings it injects venom into your skin. It is a myth that the venom hurts and causes swelling. The symptoms you see and feel when you get stung are the result of your own body defenses. The human body causes the swelling, reddening, itching and pain after a sting (ref 2).
A small percentage of people have severe reactions, which can be fatal. Death, due to anaphylaxis, is fairly rare.
The average person is stung 2-3 times in their lifetime. I wonder if gardeners are stung more often?
People Allergic to Wasp Stings are also Allergic to Bee Stings
This is a very common wasp myth. The venom from bee stings and wasp stings are quite different and “the vast majority of people that are allergic, are allergic to either wasp or bee but not both.” (ref 2).
The normal reaction of swelling and pain is not an allergic reaction and most people will experience these symptoms from both bee and wasp stings.
Baking Soda – Will it Reduce Symptoms of a Wasp Sting?
One common cure for the symptoms of a wasp sting is the application of baking soda. The claim is that since baking soda is alkaline it will neutralize the acidic compounds in the wasp venom.
The first point to note is that wasp venom is NOT acidic. It does contain alkaline compounds.
The article The Chemical Compositions of Insect Venoms says it so well I will just quote them, “Sadly, this is something of an over-simplification. Whilst it’s correct that bee venom has some acidic components, whilst wasp venom has some alkaline constituents, the venom quickly penetrates the tissue once you’ve been stung. Therefore, topical application of an acid or alkali to the sting area is unlikely to provide relief. Additionally, since the venom is such a complex mix of components, many of which have contributing effects, it’s unlikely that neutralizing a small number of these components would relieve the pain.”
A Copper Penny Placed on a Sting Will Relieve the Redness and Swelling
This is just a silly myth that does not warrant a comment. If you are stung there are some things you can do to help the pain and swelling.
- Do nothing – in most cases it goes away in 24 hours
- Wash with soap and water to remove venom
- Apply cold water and ice to reduce swelling
- Take an antihistamine to reduce swelling
- Apply calamine to reduce itching
If the reaction to the sting is significant seek medical help, especially if the sting is in the area of the throat or mouth.
Is it Easy to Remove a Nest at Night?
Wasps return to their nest at dusk and remain their overnight. It is a good time to remove the nest, but this still has to be done very carefully. If disturbed, wasps will come out at night to get you.
Contrary to popular belief, you can NOT destroy a nest by hitting it with a baseball bat – even at night. How do people come up with these dumb ideas??
Are Wasps More Dangerous Than Bees?
People get attacked more by wasps because they tend to build their nests in hidden locations. As a result people disturb their nest by accident.
With killer bees becoming more prevalent in warm areas, bees may actually be more dangerous than wasps.
The risk of serious complications or death are about the same for wasp stings and bee stings.
Watch a Wasp Build a Nest
This is a real cool video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaX9Hdeg4FU
If the above video does not play, try this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaX9Hdeg4FU
Do Wasp Traps Work?
This one is sort of a myth. If the goal is to reduce the wasps around your table at dinner time than they do work a bit. Wasps are attracted to the traps, they will be captured and then die. The problem is that only a few of the wasps will be captured having little effect on the rest of the colony. There will be more next time you dine outside.
Traps are not designed to get rid of a nest that is close to your eating area.
Artificial Wasp Nests Will Keep Wasps Away
A common solution for keeping wasps away is the artificial wasp nest, usually made out of wire and paper. Does it work or is it a myth?
Wasps are territorial and will usually not build their nest near another wasp nest. If the artificial wasp nest is hung early in the season before nest building starts it may convince the wasp to build somewhere else. However, insect exterminators have reported having several live nests in close proximity of one another. Not all wasps build their nest in isolation.
The other problem is that a single fake wasp nest will not be enough. To keep wasp nests away from your home and your garden you would need to hang dozens of artificial nests.
Yellow jackets build their nest in the ground, so hanging the fake nests will do nothing to keep them away. Most of my stings are from ground nests that I don’t see until it’s too late. Yellow jackets are also the ones that are a pest at dinner time.
Once nest building has started, wasps are very reluctant to move. Hanging an artificial nest near a real nest will not get the wasps to move. One year I collected a large paper wasp nest and the following summer I placed it right beside a live nest. The wasps took no notice of the empty old nest.
In conclusion, fake wasp nests probably do very little to keep wasps from building nests near your home.
Wasp Stings Do Not Stay in You
After a wasp stings it will try to pull it’s stinger back out and fly away. This allows a single wasp to sting several times.
If you slap at a wasp as it stings you it is quite possible that you will squish the wasp, leaving the stinger in your skin. Larger species like hornets are also more likely to leave their stinger behind.
Do Wasps Produce Honey or is it a Myth?
Some species of wasp do produce small amounts of honey. An example of this is the Mexican honey wasp.
Only about 5% of bees produce honey.
Do Wasps Re-use Old Nests?
Normally wasps use a nest for one year. At the end of the year, all except the queen die. In spring the queen starts a new nest and rarely uses the old one.
In some cases the wasps will either reuse an old nest or build a new nest right on top of the old one. I have had a small colony of wasps living behind the bricks on my home for 3 years now. Each year they have used the same entrance crack.
Will Wasps Chase You?
Wasps will not chase you unless you disturb them. You can stand a few feet away from a wasp hive and as long as you don’t make a sudden move, they will leave you alone.
If you disturb their nest they will attack and sting you. In the process of stinging they mark you with a chemical odor that makes it easy for other wasps to find you. If you run, they will chase you and they are faster than you. Yellow jackets and paper wasps will not chase you very far, unless you have destroyed their nest. Hornets can chase you up to 300 feet (100m).
Wasps Eat Mostly Sweet Things
This common wasp myth probably exists because people and wasps usually meet over the dinner table where wasps are attracted to sweet things and fermented things like wine. Late in the season they do like these foods, but early in the year they hunt for meat. Wasps are exceptional insect hunters. They play a very important role in keeping the garden free of pest insects.
Best Way to Remove a Wasp Nest
There are several ways to remove a wasp nest, but not everything you read on-line is a good idea. Be careful.
Burning
Nests are made from thin paper-like material. It is flammable when dry and the inside of the nest is usually dry. There are two problems with burning. Nests are always attached to something like a tree or house. Both of these are also flammable. Don’t start a big fire trying to get rid of a wasp nest.
The second problem is that even if this is done at night when the wasps are inside, the fire will probably not kill all the wasps. The remaining ones will likely attack you. After that, they’ll go and build another nest.
Drowning
Nests that are in the ground can be flooded with water. It is not likely to kill all the wasps and the ones that get away will come after you. It can be done using a long garden hose which will keep you at a safe distance.
If the surviving wasps move to a new location you might get stung by accident because you don’t know where the new location is. It might be best to just leave them where they are or use a commercial pesticide spray designed for wasps.
Use a Professional
For nests that are hard to get at, or inside building walls, it is best to contact a pest control technician and let them do the job properly.
Insecticide Spray Can
An easy way to kill a hive is with wasp and bee spray. The can is designed to spray 8 ft or more and the chemical kills them on contact. Wait until dusk when all the wasps are inside the hive. Then spray the opening. Keep spraying as the wasps come out. The product is easy to use and very effective.
Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets Keep Wasps Away
This is a very popular recommendation on blogs and social media. Does it work? I don’t know. There are lots of anecdotal claims saying it works, and lots of claims saying it does not work. None of the claims include any comparison tests so the comments are quite meaningless.
In one case they put the sheets right next to the wasp nest and the wasps were unaffected.
Like so many common stories about DIY pest control, it probably does not work, but we need some real data on this one.
Getting Rid of Flowers Will Keep Wasps Away
Wasps do visit flowers in search of food, so it might seem like a good idea to get rid of the flowers. Unfortunately, wasps will look for the safest place to make their nest. That is usually an area next to or on your house, regardless of the presence of flowers. Besides, nests are usually built before flowers show themselves in the garden.
Spheksophobia – the Fear of Wasps
If you are not allergic to wasps, and most of you are not, there is no reason to fear wasps. Next time you see one, stand still and just watch it. It is very unlikely that you will be stung when the wasp is away from the nest. Spending more time beside them will help to reduce your fear.
A lot of fear is learned from parents. An adult screaming at the sight of wasps ends up teaching the child to have a similar reaction. Stop the cycle of fear. For more information on Spheksophobia, have a look at Fear of Wasps Phobia – Spheksophobia.
References:
- Top 10 Myths About Wasps De-bugged; http://bristolpestcontrol.blogspot.ca/2014/03/10-wasp-myths.html
- Wasp and Insect Allergy; http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/more-about-allergy/wasp-allergy/
- Wasp Nest Removal; http://www.rentokil.com/blog/wasp-nest-removal/#.V9XJ_TX2XYg
- Photo source;
“is the pain caused by the chemical injected, or is the pain caused by your own bodies reaction to the sting? They are not the same thing.”
Mate, they ARE the same thing. it’s like saying, is the poison ivy touching your skin making you itch or is it the body’s reaction to the poison ivy making you itch. lmfao it takes all types.
On a chemical and biological level they are NOT the same thing.
Lucky for me, I have hundreds of tiny lizards taking care of my grounds. As for the wasps, no thank you. They always want to build in places guaranteed to cause me to get stung. Also we have centipedes and thanks to a bird bath, birds. We also have lots of quail running around when the road runners don’t get them. I don’t actively seek wasps out to kill though. Spiders also eat insects and wasps eat spiders. I’d rather have spiders other than wasps. Live and let live otherwise.
I don’t believe that the effects of a sting are just your body’s reaction, and the venom has no effect. Every stinging animal has its own intensity level that many people document. An ant sting behind my ear isn’t going to hurt like a wasp sting, and a ground wasp, like the cow killer ant, is known to be extremely painful. Also look at a bullet ant. If venom plays no part, then do animals with similarly sized stingers warrant such different reactions?
” the venom has no effect” – I did not say this.
What I wrote comes from the medical experts – you will have to discuss it with them.
I did not say the sting is not painful. The question is – is the pain caused by the chemical injected, or is the pain caused by your own bodies reaction to the sting? They are not the same thing.
I have a doubt that wasp venoum benifit human body. is it anti carcinogenic?
Not sure if the author of this, or editor, or whomever, still checks up on this article. But I thought I would bring this little error to your attention:
“ Wasps return to their nest at dusk and remain their overnight.”
The second “their” is incorrectly used (should be there). This may just be an accident (I hope lol) but I just thought I’d share that so it could be fixed for future readers.
Do wasp and hornets have the same sting?
My friend told me that wasps won’t sting in October he and I would handle them then and haven’t got stung…have not tried it in a few years
Depends on where you live. In zone 5, they are dying in October so they don’t sting.
Hi
Thanks for the interesting article and many of the equally interesting posts.
I stumbled on your website looking for an answer to something I’d heard from my grandmother. She said that wasps were clean animals so if they crawled around your plate or cutlery, you needn’t worry, unlike flies who have rather ghastly habits!
If anyone knows whether this is true or not, I’d be interested to know.
PS same grandmother used to put half an onion on bee and wasp stings when I was a child. It may not have kept the insects away but it certainly did friends and family😁.
I’m happy to have wasps in the garden as they are brilliant aphid hunters! I have heard, tell me if it’s not true, that they can eat up to 200 in a day!
I live in Wales one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. The one that tourists rarely visit 😉.
Yes that is true … wasps, bees and ants share our symbiotic relationship with lactobacillus bacteria ( yogurt, cheese and our skin), they need them to keep other bacteria and fungi infecting their nests… interestingly each species has specific lactobacillus. IN turkey they collect ant nest bacteria to make their yogurt and cheese. I also tried eating young – still in the nest paper wasps and they are really sweet and would make a great food – add to your gut bugs. I have made yogurt from different ant species eggs and its more cheese flavoured and the bacteria grow quickly and separate the milk.
thanks for the information- just found a nest about the size of a Cantelope on back porch covered with wasps in mid-September but they’re not bothering me so I guess I’ll leave them alone
wasps scare me so much that I sometimes have bad nightmares about them
You might like to watch this https://youtu.be/a7vyrFxYB4I
Hi Mr. Pavlis, I enjoyed your contribution to Maritime Gardener’s Youtube videos. And I do read your blog as well from time to time.
On the topic of wasps: I encourage all manner of pollinators at my allotment garden. The wasps especially enjoy grazing the dill flowers. As a side effect of their activities, my brassicas have no cabbage white caterpillars or damage to the leaves because wasps eat them. Bonus points to the wasps.
Wasps are curious creatures. When I walk in to my garden a couple of them will fly over to check me out. Once they are satisfied that I’m the same big animal who shows up regularly and that I never bother them, they go back to their usual activities. I have never been stung by a wasp in my garden.
The hands down best wasp magnet is the Long Bean. Or noodle bean. The wasps are attracted to the sweet liquid produced at the junction of the flower and stem. Usually there are dozens of wasps on these plants. The sap sedates them. I can pick beans or walk close by the plants and the wasps could not care less. However, if a bumblebee decides it wants to try getting into a bean flower (hilarious because they can’t even when they push hard with the back legs) the wasps get territorial and start hitting at them with their front legs. I assume the plant encourages wasps to provide protection. There
are never ants on the plants and no aphids.
Hey not to burst your bubble or anything but you should probably be more specific on the hornet subjects because there are a few hornet species that will bother you for no reason and will chase you for as far as a mile for example there are two types of giant hornet species known at the moment the Asian giant hornet and his slightly less aggressive and slightly smaller and slightly less potent venom cousin the Japanese giant hornet now both of these hornets are known to attack for no reason and me myself have witnessed the giant Japanese hornet actually attacked someone for no reason as you know if they’re threatened they Mark you with that scent thingy that you were talking about a few but it’s called but they also sting multiple times where is the particular person walk near a bunch of Japanese hornets wasn’t even a messed just are peeling bark off a tree for a nest one flew over installing them on hand after sitting on the hand and they were standing very still like 5 minutes staring at them and they were staring back at the hornet and then it’s tungar and flew away and I only got theirs bother them so if it was threatening move pretty sure everybody else being hornets over there would have stomach crap out of them not to mention their stings are deadly 75% of the victims go into anaphylactic shock even if they’re not allergic their venom causes the human body to go into anaphylactic shock 75% of the time and the Asian giant hornet now that’s more like 80% of the time