Honey Bee
is the bee that needs help the most
I’d argue the opposite. There are thousands species of solitary native bees in small niches that need help way more. By contrast honey bees are either livestock or feral livestock that are competing with the native bees.
Yay came here for this. I was all excited to start a couple of beehives in my back yard. Then I discovered their lineage and what they’re doing to the native bees. Instead I realized I am hosting tons of huge ass bumblebees in my yard, and I’ll just let them be(e). Maybe get some of those bee houses for solitary bees instead.
Also, it’s better to grow native plants than to provide a house. A house without food is useless.
Yes. Thank you. When I was a bee keeper I learned some about the things. Do honey bees have various issues and struggles … Sure. Are the large varieties of native wild bees soooo much more fucked - yep. Yes they are.
Paper wasps have a unique perspective of “provoked.”
I was tired so I just decided to land and rest on your head. Why are you provoking me?
I was building a nest in the only door you use to come in and out of your house. When you tried to leave, I flew directly into your path and basically body checked you. Why are you provoking me?
I was eating some chicken outside.
A yellow jacket buzzed around.
So I held a little teeny-tiny piece of it for it.
Things seem to be okay; but then I felt it.
Was it a sting or was it a bite?
Maybe it mistook my thumb for some of the chicken—chicken is often greasy.
It wasn’t really painful, but I decided it wore out it’s welcome, so I probably flicked it away.
I don’t think I ever saw it again.
At another time, a few came through my window.
So I put some syrup on a cap to see what will happen.
A few more flew in.
They drank it up—they sure seem to like syrup a lot.
I guess after they had their fill, the flew away—“buzzed off” if you will.
I love how this is formatted like a poem
This list seems to have been written by paper wasps cause that’s the only bullshit on here. Those things will sing you for whatever reason it deems necessary.fuck those things
My most recent run in with these fuckers involved one building a nest in the BED OF MY TRUCK and then stinging me after I drove to work and got out. Bastards. I respect most insects but wasps get the death spray without question.
Death spray, every time!
They are all over the place here. They are Satan incarnate and will sting the shit out of you for any or no reason.
They forgot the tarantula hawk
Tarantula hawk wasps are relatively docile and rarely sting without provocation, but the sting—particularly that of P. grossa—is among the most painful of all insects, though the intense pain only lasts about five minutes.
Five minutes is a long time when something hurts like a mf.
I love watching the carpenter bees at my house. The ones that are on patrol follow the most exact flight patterns, it’s crazy. They always fly the same narrow lane, same height, stop and hover at the same spot for the same length of time. It’s amazing to watch.
I had carpenter bees at my old house that were so tame I could grab them out of the air and pet them.
In my experience, the paper wasp description applies to the yellow jackets. They are fairly common around outdoor eating areas around here, especially near the garbage cans. I find they mostly just check out the food, though they will check you out, too, and will sometimes get right into your face, but I’ve found a good way of reclaiming your space is to slowly push them away. You probably won’t even make contact with them while you do so because they react fast.
Though I’ve also noticed that they (and bugs in general) are more interested in some people over others and I’m lucky to be on the low interest to bugs side of the spectrum.
Where the killer bees?
They’re right behind you.
Asia, where they belong (and stay there!)
Edit: oops, still had wasps on the mind from another comment and was thinking of “killer hornets” (aka the Asian giant hornet), which thankfully has not naturalized in the Americas despite recent attempts. Killer bees, yeah, they here.
They here and read story in the paper when I was a teen of a farmer that was killed by them.
Last time heard about them is they are in the states and have killed people here.
One time as I was turning down my bed a paper wasp (or possibly grass wasp, I didn’t get a chance to ask it) that was hiding in the sheets stung me on the hand. And now I hope I can share some of that previously unrealized fear with all of you.
Yeah, to me all of these scream “Run tf away, go inside and don’t come back out until tomorrow.” (I am deafly afraid of bees)
Y’all sleeping on black soldier flies.
They’re copycats that look like mud daubbers, but have no ability to sting or bite. They don’t readily transmit human diseases, and they compete with noxious species like house flies and roaches. Present in most places across the globe.
Their larvae are the most-efficient known converts of input biomass to output protein, they can compost most household foods quite easily, and they’re an excellent animal feed.
Dirt Dauber looks like an RPG Munition
Dirt Daubers do not build nests in the ground. They build single solitary cells one at a time. Sometimes on top to each other but often in separate places. They do not live in the nests - they just lay larvae and a dead bug inside for those who come after.
I have them all over my garage. I have accepted that something will live in the eaves and they are the least aggressive to humans. They are territorial and they will keep the other “wasps” away.
I can literally scrape their nests off and throw them out in front of them.
Absolutely zero parental instincts.
Carpenter bees are so cool. I love them. They don’t ever dart at me either. Usually just other carpenter bees. My recollection is the males have white dots in their heads and don’t have stingers at all, and they’re the ones that typically guard the best (by hovering around).
