by Derrick |
Last Updated: March 28, 2022 Who doesn’t love being outdoors in fantastic weather? Well, it’s all fun and games until you spot a huge wasp flying around — especially if it lands on you! What do you do in such a situation?
Stay calm if a wasp lands on you. It won’t harm you unless it feels threatened — so don’t make any sudden movements, and don’t try to flick it off, as that makes it more aggressive. The safest route is to wait it out until it flies off.
Staying calm and passive usually keeps you safe, and natural reflexes like swatting at wasps or running away might get you in more trouble. Read on to find out more!
Do’s and Don’ts for When a Wasp Lands on You
Wasps aren’t naturally aggressive or cruel, and they have no interest in inflicting a sting. They only use it as a defense mechanism if they feel threatened. If the wasps feel danger and navigate a threat from you — you’re in trouble.
Some types are more aggressive than others, and yellow jacket wasps are a prime example of these dangerous wasps.
Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do if a wasp lands on you.
Do’s
- Stay as still as possible if a wasp lands on you.
- Keep your movements as fluid and slow as possible if you’re in a position where you must move. The safer the wasp feels, the safer you should feel from the chances of a painful sting.
- Keep your arm away from your face and head. These are the primary sting targets for wasps — do this if the wasp is on your arm.
- Make sure you run as fast as possible in a straight line to boost your chances of outrunning it. Do this if the wasp flies off for a second or two, and you choose to run.
Don’ts
- Never swing your hands at a wasp or try to swat at it, as this will increase your chances of getting stung.
- Don’t try to hide in a pond, pool, or lake because once a wasp locks its target, it’ll wait outside the water and try to sting you as soon as you come out for breath.
- Don’t try to “play dead” before or after a sting — it won’t fool the wasp. The wasp may sting you several times if you do this.
Stay Calm or Run Fast and Straight
A wasp randomly landing on your arm might seem scary, but it’s not as dangerous as getting chased by one. If a wasp chases you, it’s probably looking to harm you as a defensive mechanism. But a wasp generally doesn’t get on your back unless you do something to provoke it!
For instance, if you spot one flying around peacefully, don’t make sudden moves that threaten it. These don’ts include swatting at it and suddenly running away — as these might lead the wasp to chase you.
If you’re getting chased by a wasp, the best thing you can do is to run fast and straight. You should lose it soon enough as wasps tend to stick within a close radius of their nests.
Tips for Avoiding Wasps
When a wasp lands on you, it’s essential to know what you should or shouldn’t do to safely make it out of that situation. However, you shouldn’t get into that situation in the first place!
Sure, there’s never going to be a 0% chance of having a close encounter with a wasp, but there are ways to keep that percentage in check.
Here are some ways to keep wasps as far away from your house as possible!
Use Wasp Traps
If you live in a zone with high wasp activity, you should hang some wasp traps around the house. These work by attracting insects and wasps using tempting baits like sugar cubes or sugary syrups, but it’s a one-way trip as they’re trapped inside.
You can get the Rescue! Wasp TrapStik from Amazon.com — it’s suitable for trapping:
- Carpenter bees
- Wasps
- Mud daubers
- and other insects
It’s also chemical— and odor-free!
They’re also pretty easy to make at home. Follow the steps below to start making one:
- Find a two-liter (half a gallon) bottle and cut it in half.
- Fit the top half upside down inside the bottom half.
- Fill it up with some sugary water. Once a wasp or insect goes down that funnel, it won’t have the chance to crawl out.
Keep Waste Bins Sealed
Waste bins carry all sorts of decomposing matter within your trash bags. As we all know, insects love that stuff — and as a matter of fact, wasps feed on insects. If there aren’t any insects grouped up around the house, wasps will be less interested in buzzing around your place.
To keep insects from infesting your waste bins, make sure you keep them sealed shut at all times. Bins with many decomposing food items are even riskier — not only for wasp risks but also for all sorts of annoying pest problems like maggots, mice, and whatnot.
Take Care of Potential Nesting Spots
Wasps look for tight spaces inside your house to build a home of their own. These involve holes in the wall or cracks in the windowpane.
They can also build their nest underneath the floor of a barely-used room (such as the basement or storeroom).
To keep wasps away, check if there are any nests inside or around the house. If so, get them removed by professional exterminators and eliminate any potential nesting spots like those mentioned above.
Nests tend to become active around spring, so ensure you get all of this done by late fall.
Conclusion
Wasps don’t land on you with an intent to harm you (generally, at least). If they land on you, they’re most probably on the lookout for some water on a hot day, and the sweat on your skin or some other scent attracts them. Being passive about it is one of the safest routes you can take. Let the wasp do its thing, and it’ll fly away on its own.
