Wasps landing on you can be annoying and even frightening, but there are reasons behind their behavior. Wasps are naturally curious insects that are attracted to certain colors, smells, and environments. Understanding what attracts wasps and why they land on humans can help people avoid unwanted encounters.
Why Are Wasps Attracted to Humans?
There are a few main reasons why wasps are attracted to humans and will try to land on you:
1. You are wearing colors and patterns that attract wasps
Wasps have good vision and are particularly attracted to the colors black and yellow. These are colors found in their natural habitats like flowers. If you wear clothing with floral patterns, black and white stripes, or the color yellow, you are much more likely to attract the interest of nearby wasps. The movement of these patterns also catches their attention.
2. You have sweet smells on you
Wasps have an excellent sense of smell and are attracted to the scents of nectar, fruit, and other sugars. If you have sweet food, candy, fruit drinks, or are wearing sugary perfume or lotion, these can lure wasps in. They land on you to try and find the source of the sweet scent.
3. You have food or drink in your hand
Picnics, barbeques, and outdoor activities where you have food and drinks make you a target for curious wasps looking for a meal. If you have soda, juice, meat, fruit, or other food items in your hands or on a table near you, wasps detect these and will land on your hands or arms to try and access them.
4. Your environment has bug attractants
If you are around flowers, compost piles, garbage cans, or other areas that naturally attract wasps searching for food or nesting sites, they are much more likely to buzz around and land on you. Try to avoid these bug attracting environments.
5. You smell like the outdoors
If you’ve been gardening, hiking, or participating in other outdoor activities, you likely have some residual scents on you that are similar to their natural habitats. Smelling like soil, sap, greenery, etc. can draw wasps in to land.
6. You have moisture on your skin
Wasps are attracted to sources of moisture like perspiration because they need water. If you’ve been exercising on a hot day or have sweat, lotion, sunscreen, or water on your skin, landing insects pick up on that moisture.
7. Your breath contains carbon dioxide
Your exhaled breath contains carbon dioxide, which wasps can detect. They are intrigued by this, which can prompt them to fly near your face and land on your lips, nose, or cheeks.
Do Wasps Land on You to Sting You?
A common myth is that wasps land on humans specifically to sting them as an act of aggression. However, this is rarely the case.
| Reasons Wasps Don’t Want to Sting You | Explanation |
|---|---|
| It threatens their lives | When a wasp stings, it releases a pheromone that signals danger to the rest of the colony. Stinging also pulls out part of their abdomen and intestines, which can be fatal. |
| They prefer to conserve stings | Wasps can only sting humans once because their stinger becomes stuck in skin. Stinging is done as a last resort. |
| Humans are not prey | Wasps sting to capture insect prey or defend nests, not to attack other species like humans. |
| You are not threatening them | If you remain calm and still, you do not pose a threat, so they have no need to sting. |
Instead, wasps land on humans for the reasons covered already – they are attracted to colors, smells, environments, and food sources that draw their natural curiosity. They are investigating you, not looking to sting arbitrarily.
When Would a Wasp Sting You?
Wasps do have a defensive instinct to protect themselves, their colony, and food sources. Here are the main situations that could prompt a wasp to sting you:
You swat at it or make sudden movements
If you wave your arms, twitch, jerk around, or swat at a wasp that has landed on you, it will likely interpret that as aggressive. This makes them defensive, raising the chances of a sting. Staying still is your best bet.
You accidentally touch or pinch it
You may not notice a landed wasp, and inadvertently squeeze it with your arm or another body part. This pressure can trigger a sting reflex. Check your body after being outside to make sure a wasp hasn’t already landed on you.
You block the entrance to their nest
Wasps fiercely protect their nests from intruders. If you hang around near a ground nest or eaves nest, they will sting to drive you away. Give nests a wide berth.
You attempt to kill or trap it
Any attempt to harm a wasp puts it on the defense. Never try to smash, swat, or trap a wasp, or you’ll receive a sting.
You are near food it wants
If you have food that wasps want like sweet sodas or fruit, they can sting in an attempt to get access if you block them. Best not to eat or drink around areas with lots of wasps.
You accidentally step on it
If a wasp has landed on the ground in your path, stepping on it threatens its life and provokes self-defense. Always check your footing in grassy areas.
Conclusion
Wasps land on humans primarily out of curiosity rather than aggression. They are investigating colors, smells, moisture, carbon dioxide, and possible food sources. However, they can sting if they feel threatened through sudden movements, compression, or proximity to nests. Avoiding these triggers is the best way to prevent wasp stings when a wasp lands on you. Remaining calm and still discourages them from stinging. Understanding the reasoning behind why wasps are attracted to humans and the situations that provoke them can help you avoid painful stings.
| Top 5 Ways to Prevent Wasps From Landing On You |
|---|
| 1. Avoid wearing colors and patterns that attract them like black and yellow |
| 2. Don’t use sweet scented perfumes, lotions or hair products |
| 3. Cover food and drinks and avoid carrying them outside |
| 4. Stay away from areas that naturally attract wasps like compost bins |
| 5. Check your body for any landed wasps before moving |
Wasps serve a useful ecological role as pollinators and predators of garden pests. Their curiosity and caution around humans means that most encounters do not result in stings. A better understanding of wasp behavior allows us to peacefully coexist with these important insects while avoiding unpleasant stings.