Living with Wasps 101
Scenario
It’s a hot day, and I take my new group of Outside School students to a spot at the creek where it’s shady and cool, a perfect spot to hang out for the day. The creek is not running due to drought, but there are some pools where there is a seep up above.
The Story
Child 1, arriving at the shore first: There’s too many bugs here!
Me, still putting my supplies down at a picnic area above the creek: No worries, they won’t bother you.
Child 1: They are bothering me, and I have bug spray on!
Me: Oh, the bug spray is there to keep them off you, but they won’t bother you directly.
Child 1, coming back toward the picnic area: I don’t like them!
Me: Well, it is the beginning of the school year. There’ll be lots of time to get used to them.
Later
Me, arriving on the shore: There are a lot more bugs than usual! I guess it’s because of the drought and there’s plenty of water here. They’re here drinking water! Here’s a spot that has a lot less bugs; you can climb the rocks to get here.
Kid 2: Not down the wall! That’s too steep!
Me: Yeah, you’ll have to go through the bugs to get here, but you’ll be okay.
Kid 1, having climbed the rocks toward me: Hey, there are a lot less bugs here!
Later
Lady with Infant: Is there any other place with water around here?
Me: No, that’s it!
Lady with Infant: There are wasps down there!
Me: I know! But, they won’t bother you. They’re just here to drink.
Kid 2: It’s true!
Lady with Infant: Really?
Me: Yep!
Lady with Infant, having given it a go creekside: Thanks! I wouldn’t have known that. That was really nice!
Everyone deserves fresh water.
More on the subject
Locally, “yellow jackets” and “wasps” are terms used interchangeably. I call the yellow and black striped creatures “yellow jackets,” and paper wasps, the ones with the large abdomen sticking back from a thin waist, “wasps.” Both come to drink from shallow pools.
Yellow jackets will try to eat your lunch if it has meat in it. You can watch them if you like; you can see their jaws working to remove a bite of food. If it’s too much, we just close our lunch container’s lid until it’s time to take another bite.
Yellow jackets visited this child’s hot dog lunches every day. The child readily learned to keep the lid on except for when taking a bite.
Paper wasps are the ones who build the large, brown nests. I once got to witness one taking bites out of an old picnic table for nest building! When I worked in a school garden, a wasp would come each day at the same time to sip from under the water faucet. When it would try to build a nest, I would knock the nest down with a broom handle. It would try again with the same result, so eventually it would go elsewhere for nest building. If you have a large nest on your hands, you could knock it down at night. If you’re brave enough to open the nest, you will be able to see an egg or larva in each cell. It’s pretty amazing!
If one does land on you, wait and it will fly away. Observe with a sense of wonder, and be relaxed. After teaching hundreds of students outdoors, none of us has been stung or bitten by a wasp.
Wasps are just doing their best to take care of their families, just like you!
By Heather Taylor, teachoutside@gmail.com. You are welcome to share all materials with credit to her.