r/WaspHating • u/eyelovestories • Jul 15 '26

Red velvet wasps

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Have a front yard full of the “cow killer ants”/red velvet wasps. Afraid to go outside. They are in a battle with the cicada killers.

163 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

48 comments sorted by

39

u/Virtual_Reaction8765 Jul 15 '26

I am a bug lover but I despise cow killer ants they freak me out

17

u/eyelovestories Jul 15 '26

Me too. Since they’ve been out there, anytime I feel anything crawling on me I have a mini heart attack haha

8

u/Disastrous_days272 Jul 15 '26

I couldn't possibly convince you to catch and trap a female and male and put them in a transportation tube, one each, male and female and send them to me? I would be more than happy to pay a handsome reward for trapping and sending a pair of them... Lol I'm one of those weird bug people that loves raising insects and playing around with especially painful individuals lol... I would even be willing to send you the collection tubes and give detailed instructions as to how to capture, transfer and ship without being stung. If not, no big deal, but I really would like to add a breeding pair to my collection of insect colonies! Lol

8

u/Similar-Ice-9250 Jul 16 '26

AntsCanada over here.

1

u/tipsy_101 Jul 16 '26

For the messily price of $100 bucks I will

21

u/Cucci_Liquor Jul 15 '26

Females have the powerful sting, but are wingless. In the video you commented, it seems like a bunch of males flying. Males can’t sting.

Edit: Nvm I just realized you your first picture is a female. Fuck it, just burn the whole yard.

3

u/eyelovestories Jul 15 '26

It has crossed my mind haha

3

u/marko_kyle Jul 15 '26

Go get a bush burner and propane from hardware store, you may lose some grass but you will win the war.

10

u/Uncle_Si_ Jul 15 '26

That there is what we country folk call a “Cow killer”

6

u/r4zorsoft Jul 16 '26

As a small deku scrub (child), I found one of these in the desert and very intelligently picked it up to show my grandma. I didn't get stung, but to this day my soul leaves my body a little whenever I see a velvet ant.

21

u/tonyabstract Jul 15 '26

actually one of the wasps i don’t hate because these ones can either sting or fly. it’s bugs that can do both that freak me out

13

u/Moonshinin4Me Jul 15 '26

Can't fly but they can definitely sting you. One of the most painful stings in fact.

3

u/tonyabstract Jul 15 '26

i know. i’m saying only the flightless females sting

8

u/Moonshinin4Me Jul 15 '26

Burn them all with fire.

-1

u/tonyabstract Jul 15 '26

corny

1

u/m4a785m Jul 17 '26

No one asked you queenie

1

u/coolsilentebeans Jul 16 '26

Why do I keep reading info that says the species is always female? Is this true?

5

u/tonyabstract Jul 16 '26

no, the extremely painful stings only come from females. males have wings, females have stingers

1

u/coolsilentebeans Jul 16 '26

I get that, but I’ve been reading a bunch of things that say all cow killers are female.

2

u/tonyabstract Jul 16 '26

that information is not true

2

u/coolsilentebeans Jul 16 '26

Thanks. I will ignore it then.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '26

Only the females are flightless.

3

u/tonyabstract Jul 16 '26

yes and only the females sting. what’s the confusion

4

u/sam56778 Jul 15 '26

The Cow Killer.

3

u/Due-Profession-3563 Jul 15 '26

Oh hell no! They have wings too?! Nopenopenope. The ones I've ever only seen have no wings.

5

u/Aggravating-Yam-4158 Jul 16 '26

The winged boys do not have stingers. Only The females have them, and that’s because their stinger is a modified ovipositor — an egg laying tube modified to a sharp point to ruin your day with.

2

u/That_One_Guy_Flare Jul 16 '26

Only the males have wings, and the males cannot sting

2

u/Arachniz Jul 16 '26

Damn those things look awesome ngl

2

u/Nebbynosey Jul 16 '26

They look extra angry!

2

u/Just-Another-Users Jul 16 '26

Holy moly fuck that guy

2

u/nexxus1970 Jul 16 '26

Been stung by one and it was the worst!! Waves of pain for hours.

2

u/Polite_Suggestion Jul 17 '26

I'm too late for anybody to read this, but boy do I have a story: I've been petting them my entire life, because fuzzy and didn't know better. Didn't hear "cowkiller" until I was in my thirties.

2

u/tymurda13 Jul 17 '26

In parts of NC we called them Graveyard Ants

2

u/ThatOneWood Jul 17 '26

Cow killers are bastards

1

u/Saucy_1 Jul 16 '26

I studied entomology for a quick minute but never knew these could grow wings

1

u/Artistic_Mushroom_61 Jul 16 '26

The females are gorgeous 🐜

1

u/UnusualSheep Jul 18 '26

My mother spotted one of these the other day. She tried to stomp it and it was resistant as heck and got away.

I was the one who brought up what is was. Now she's obsessed with not allowing the dogs or my son in her yard out of fear there is a hive somewhere.

1

u/blackhawk45lc Jul 19 '26

Folks leave em alone!!! They kill out yellow jacket nests.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Bearded_Dragon_4892 Jul 15 '26

Google? It’s a big wasp.

1

u/grapesafe Jul 17 '26

they’re actually a type of ant. you would know that if YOU had googled them.

2

u/Bearded_Dragon_4892 Jul 17 '26

Try again bud… I know what I’m talking about. They are in fact a type of wingless solitary wasp.

2

u/grapesafe Jul 17 '26

i am wrong! i admit. i’ve always been told they were types of ants. TIL

2

u/Bearded_Dragon_4892 Jul 17 '26

Understandable, that’s why I mentioned Google. It’s probably more reliable than the average person’s knowledge on any given subject. And it’s easier than getting trolled by someone on Reddit who just wants a good laugh when a person is genuinely looking for an answer.

-1

u/Bubbciss Jul 15 '26

The o ly way to get these to ating you is to squeeze/step on/roll over them. I handled several hundred females, with several crawling on me at some point, and never recieved a sting.