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Thread: wasps

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    52

    Re: wasps

    Another wasp phobic here ! I can't even look at a picture of one without feeling ill ..... completely irrational but I can't help myself. I even scream with my mouth if I see one incase it flies in my mouth .... silly woman , lol !!!

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    197

    Re: wasps

    I am phobic about spiders very badly. I used to live in an old house which was quite damp, and the amount of spiders in that house was just ridiculous.
    Last edited by grotbags; 07-05-12 at 12:15. Reason: Triggering post

  3. #23

    Re: wasps

    Is it true wasps can smell fear? I only say this because i can be outside with friends and suddenly a wasp appears, I walk away and the §$%& always follows me and leaves my calm friends alone

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    52

    Re: wasps

    Sarah20 . I often wondered that too - have had a similar thing happen a few times !!

  5. #25

    Re: wasps

    Hi. Just joined this site today as spring is in the air and I know whats about to come.. nearly 6 months of running from house to car to work with the house like an airtight oven and not being able to socialise at all because of these flying feckers. Does anyone know how to get a grip of this. I cant face another year like this.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    7,300

    Re: wasps

    Well, first of all explain in more detail what it is about them that scares you so much...is it a phobia or are there certain aspects of their behaviour that really set you off? I think its about changing your attitude to them. I used to be pretty frightened when I was younger but you need to think to yourself 'are they aiming for me/wanting to sting me' or are they defending themselves against 'attack' as they feel threated. It is the latter.
    Wasps have their important place in the ecosystem, they are insect predators and help farmers, gardeners and all of us as they devour pests in the environment like fly larvae and many others. Without them, we would be in a lot of trouble. They are also very interesting actually, and watching them 'strip' wood off things to take back and build nests is fascinating. I never kill a wasp personally, and catch and release as I don't believe as humans we can pick and chose what we think deserves to live or die. Its about thinking about the world as a whole and the importance of everything in it, even those things that annoy us humans - just because they annoy us doesn't mean they are irrelevant. They are much maligned, but to be honest it is the panic/flapping about and waving things at them which means they sting. That or being squashed inside a cardigan, which I accidentally did last year and got two stings! Look, wasp stings are pretty horrid, and mine itch and itch afterwards for months, but I'd still rather have wasps around and have an occasional sting. There are ways you can make yourself less 'attractive' to wasps and bees approaching you, and here is a very simple (sorry child-like) information link....


    https://m.wikihow.com/Avoid-Bee-or-Wasp-Stings

    I think regarding all phobias, I am a firm believer in desensitisation/exposure therapy so maybe it would help if you bought a self-help book about phobias (doesn't need to be specific to wasps, but a book specific to phobias) and how to tackle them. There are lots of really good articles online too, as I know that all the positives I am saying about wasps probably won't hit home for you, as phobia isn't rational.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Posts
    7,747

    Re: wasps

    I've trained myself to freeze in the presence of stinging insects, which came in very handy last year when a wasp climbed down inside my specs. I removed them very slowly, waited for it to fly away and then (despite not being phobic) spent a couple of minutes freaking out

    Carys, I love your outlook. I try to avoid killing whenever I can, because it's not as though these creatures harm us out of malice.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    7,300

    Re: wasps

    Yeah......I'm the woman carrying mice in humane traps to the woods LOL I try and apply this outlook to everything, all living creatures. Well done for 'freezing', easier said than done I know, as sometimes they are very persistent ! Have you ever been stung Blueiris?

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Posts
    7,747

    Re: wasps

    Not by a bee or a wasp, no. I got a mystery bite last October that I'm pretty sure was a false widow spider - it was on my back, I never found the culprit and bees and wasps are hard to miss. It was small but very painful, it ulcerated and while the skin healed after a month, I still get occasional nerve pain in the area.

    Serves me right for scoffing when local schools got closed down over false widow infestations, I guess.

    I'll let the cats kill mice and birds, but only if they're too badly injured by the time I get to them. Otherwise, I rescue them and bring the cats in to give them time to get away.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    7,300

    Re: wasps

    Ah yes, the false widow spider, thats another creature that is 'over hysterified' (made up word). I know some people do react badly to them, someone in my family did and had a lot of swelling and pain/infection. I used to feel the same way until I saw someone saving a nest of them by transfering on his bare hands (unbitten, and yes he knew they were false widow). I was horrified, and then looked up info about them, as below, taken from natural history museum site...

    False widows are not the deadly spiders they are sometimes thought to be.

    Although false widows do have a venomous bite, the venom is not particularly potent. Usually the only symptom is pain at the site which may radiate away from the bite. It ordinarily lasts between one and 12 hours, and rarely for more than 24 hours.
    Often, the symptoms are no worse than the pain of a wasp sting.
    Males are more prone to biting. But this is only because they leave the nest in search of a mate, often venturing indoors looking for females. They are only known to bite when provoked or trapped against skin.

    There are sometimes reports of false widow bites that present with more sinister symptoms like rotting flesh and excruciating pain. But these are usually not backed up with formal spider identification.

    The extreme side effects experienced are most likely the result of a secondary infection, likely bacterial, if the wound is not kept clean.
    There is often hysteria surrounding these spiders, and they have unjustly earned a reputation for being a dangerous pest. But these spiders only bite when they feel threatened.
    Jan Beccaloni, Curator of Arachnida and Myriapoda, says 'During my time at the Natural History Museum I have, not surprisingly, met many people who are scared of spiders. That’s a great pity because spiders are awesome creatures which are sadly misunderstood.

    'Aside from their key role in feeding on pest insect species, their silk is being developed to make specialist clothing such as bullet-proof vests and their venom can be used in pain relief.
    'So next time you find an unwanted spider in your house, please don’t kill it! Either leave it in peace, or humanely put it out in your shed.'
    False widows can live in relative harmony with us - they're even tidy houseguests, helping to keep the place clear of flying insects and other pesky invertebrates.








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