I distinctly remember the last time I was stung by a bee-like insect. It happened this past August. I was leaving someone’s house through their front door. A small wasp nest had been constructed near the hinges. Constructed by wasps. One of those wasps went directly toward my face and stung me on my temple. That was quite a painful place for it to place its stinger. I suppose it could have been much worse, but even still, the memory has stuck with me.
The hosts of the party felt terrible. I tried not to let anyone notice that I had been buzzed, but when I got to the car, I flipped down the mirror and had a good long stare at the swelling that was taking place right before my eyes. They must have seen the entire incident as they came right over and apologized. Moments later, one of them had a can of wasp spray aimed at the front door.
Wasps build nests primarily as a safe place to raise their young. These nests provide protection from predators and weather elements. How they build their nests depends on the species, you see. But most nests are constructed from a papery material made from wood fibers mixed with saliva. Wasp spit. Truly, though, it’s pretty fascinating how they create these intricate structures.
Back to my stinging. Honestly, I felt sorry for the wasps. They were just doing what they were meant to do. Wasps are natural predators of many insects. Not only that, but they work in other ways in the ecosystem, including producing powerful antibiotics in their venom and being a nutritious snack for other animals.
But. Unlike bees, wasps don’t die after they sting you. A wasp can sting multiple times because its stinger is smooth and not barbed like a bee’s. After stinging, it can fly away and continue its day. So, while it might sting more than once, it’s not a one-and-done kind of deal for them.
Those bees, though. Those bees die after stinging because their stingers are barbed. You see. When a bee stings, it essentially rips part of its abdomen out in the process, which causes fatal damage to its body. The bee’s stinger stays stuck in the skin, and when it tries to fly away, it leaves the stinger behind, along with part of its abdomen. And this leads to its death. It’s a pretty intense sacrifice for the hive.
The day I was stung was the day the wasp died. Not from stinging me. But from a poisonous aerosol. The wasp got the worst end of the deal.
“”””””””””””
“The price of greatness is responsibility.” – Winston Churchill
“”””””””””””
“In nature, nothing exists alone.” – Rachel Carson
“”””””””””””
“Life is a series of trade-offs. Sometimes we are called upon to make sacrifices in the name of something bigger.” – Frank Ball
“”””””””””””
====>
From Wordle Words
worse
stare
stuck
sting
still
The day the wasp died. Sadly.
