Why do wasps sting

Wasps may sting humans or other animals for many reasons. Stinging is used as a defense mechanism by wasps most of the times. Even when on the attack, the wasps sting with the aim of making their opponent passive. Wasps have always been at the receiving end of human intolerance. When men go berserk trying to squash wasps in their fists or by swinging madly with a folded magazine, wasps find it apt to go on a stinging spree themselves.

Food attracts wasps. Sweet dishes and fish products create immediate interest in wasps and they don’t mind getting close to you if you happen to be eating in the open. Obviously, nobody appreciates an irritating flying object circulating madly all around. This invariably leads to the situation discussed above. Their affinity to consumables is also the reason why we often find a wasp or two floating over our unattended soft drinks. Wasps are very careful about their habitat and do not tolerate any infiltration. A single wasp can alert the entire colony by flapping its wings with a particular wing beat frequency. The generally united wasp colony gets disoriented in the late summers. This leads to the spreading of the wasps and hence, increases the chances of someone getting stung. There is no strict formula to the venom of wasps, and the contents of the venom differ with the kinds of wasps.

However, the most common stings are known to cause contraction of isolated muscles, and irregularly low blood pressure of the arteries. An intriguing thing to know about wasps is that they might be able to transfer the retribution sting to you even after being squashed. This is because the venomous sac at the wasp’s rear keeps on pulsating even after its death, and contact with the sac can lead to the injection of poison. Though the instincts of humans defy this, but it is always better to let the wasp fly around as it would not sting if not excited to do so. This is better than making a mess in your fist by crushing a wasp.