On the patio of Bainbridge Bakers one fine September afternoon, my toddler's refusal to eat lunch and subsequent roaming led him to a buzzing wirevine bush of yellowjackets!

Immediately my Mama Bear defenses went up!  (insert thought bubbles floating around my head) saying things like the immediate and slightly shrieky "Don't touch!" and ominous warning "You'll get stung..." and the dreaded Mom Lecture: "Oh good grief, of all the living things on this patio, you had to find yellowjackets, why don't you go chase a nice dog or House Sparrow..."

Usually the "re-direct" works.  The idea is to shift your child's attention (and yours!) to something equally engaging.  However, I thought the experience of safely observing wasps was valuable and better than making them SUPER SPECIAL FORBIDDEN WASPS.  After all "super special forbidden" anything = something Toddler Must Have Now.  And that would have been more dangerous, let alone a battle I didn't deem worth it.

So I used the teachable moment and kneeled next to my son as we watched the wasps together this time.  I asked him questions like:

"What color is the wasp?" 

"Can you see the antennae?"

"What are they doing on those flowers?" I also explained that they do have stingers on their rumps and getting stung is a Big Owie we want to avoid. 

The irony here is, that I am afraid of bees.  I should rephrase: getting stung by bees.  Bees of any sort, I'm not discrimanatory.  I think they're all after me.  They smell fear you know, and I'm afraid.  But that's not a lesson I want to teach my kids- to be afraid irrationally.  Even bees and wasps with their weaponized venom deserve the benefit of the doubt, right?  Especially when innocently dining on nectar and not dive bombing me at picnic.

I hold a great respect for bees! On Bainbridge we have lots of different buzzers.  Let's review of few of my faves!

There's a Bombus among-us!

Don't ya just love the bumblebee?  The genus is Bombus. What personality!  Covered in fuzzy pile, this bee is a real charmer. 

Of course, this bee ranks # 1 on my list of bee myths too.

Myth: Bumblebees can't sting.

-As a 7 year old child, I was stung by a bumblebee.  So no, this is NOT true.  A female bumblebee has a stinger, evolved from its now defunct ovipositor- or egg laying tube on its little bee butt.  It can sting you multiple times too, as the stinger does not disconnect from the bee body.

Homework for you:  How does a female bumblebee lay her eggs if she doesn't use an ovipositor?  Think about it. 

-Yellow jackets are short and stocky

-Paper wasps are long and slender with slender legs

-Yellow jackets build large ball-shaped nests (many combs inside...kinda like a wasp condominium)

-Paper wasps build open comb-shaped nests under eaves, in attics and small shelters..check it out below!

 Fear not, my friends!

Fall is a season where you will see a lot of angry bee/wasp action.  They can't help themselves, they are being territorial and grumpy.  After all, only the queens will overwinter (long live woman!).  Teach loving and safe observation to your curious kids.  Even those that bumble!

Christina's Two Cents:  If you get stung once, RUN, don't swat.  Yellow jackets in particular mark you with a chemical that allows others to follow your trail, encouraging you to skidaddle away from their nest. 

What critters give you the heebie-jeebies?  Do we unconciously pay our fears of wildlife forward?  Weigh in with your thoughts and post a comment below!  Join us for a Families in Nature program and let's continue the conversation on the trail.