Honey bees don't actually "need help the most", they're widely kept for honey production. Solitary wasps (of which there are many species) are much more endangered. Not yellowjackets, though, fuck those guys.

Wait I can PET BUMBLEBEES?!

The myth that bumblebees shouldn't be able to fly according to science needs to die.

They wouldn't be able to fly in an outdated, simplified model, where you pretend they're birds and just plug in their wingspan and weight.

If you account for the fact that air molecules are a lot larger relative to their size than to a birds, so air acts more like water at that small scale, and they don't just move their wings up and down but in a complicated movement that shapes the turbulence, it's no surprise they can fly, and scientists know that.

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.

I love bumblebees so much. Just saw a couple flying in 70km/h wind gusts today. So stupid. So graceful

I once bought a house with two pear trees, and I quickly learned to pick up any fruit that dropped on the ground. The juice would ferment under the skin, and yellow jackets would pierce the skins, and get drunk. Then they'd chase me around the yard when I tried to work in my big organic vegetable garden.

It turns out, yellow jackets are mean drunks, but that's probably not a surprise.

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.

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?

This would be welcome on !coolguides@lemmy.ca (which sorely needs content)!

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 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.

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

I had carpenter bees at my old house that were so tame I could grab them out of the air and pet them.

Hoverflies are so sweet, sometimes there'll be one or two hovering near me and I'll just stick out a finger for them and they'll chill there for awhile.

Makes me feel like a Disney princess but with bugs 😊

Unintentionally pressed my elbow into a hive if red paper wasps.

STRAIGHT FUCKING FIRE 🔥🔥🔥. Don't recommend it. 3\10.

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.

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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetia_illucens

I've been stung by paper wasps twice. First time I was a child and freaked out cause, again, child. Second time was just a few years ago helping a neighbor move a dryer. Stuck my hand all up inside that nest and caught massive a half dozen stings before I figured out what was going on. It seriously felt like slight electric shocks, but the pain faded in a matter of minutes and wasn't all that bad during that time.

Where the killer bees?