Filming this changed how I see WASPS!

Becoming a gardener changed my relationship with wasps. They like to hang out on sunflowers and other tall flowers, waiting to mess up some pests.

In my entomology class, everyone was assigned a taxonomic family of insect to do a presentation on. I landed on ichneumonidae, a large family of parasitoid wasps that I already adored. I think I ended off the presentation with something like "I love wasps, even the scary ones, and I need you to love wasps too".

Your work helps illuminate the tremendous beauty of the insect world. I started to respect these creatures more after becoming your subscriber. Thanks!

Everyone always jokes about hating wasps, but I, for one, truly love them. They're decent pollinators, great pest control, and are fascinating to watch and learn about.

I'm a huge wasp fan. Even the "scary" ones, as long as they're not nesting in a problematic location, are fine with me. So much pest control and pollination. And those Braconid cocoons on the hornworm caterpillar are a gardeners best friend!

I used to be really afraid of wasps (an early childhood memory where I stepped on a nest and didn’t realize until they all started stinging me—the first sting was right in the perineum). I hated wasps. But in recent years I’ve been looking at every living thing as the magnificent creature it is. I never would’ve guessed that insects can exhibit personalities! As far as wasps, now if there’s one stuck inside a café, climbing the window looking for a way out, I’ll let it crawl on my hand and I’ll take it outside. The relationship totally changed. They can be so gentle, so adorable.

If you get a wasp in your house. Found the best and easiest way to deal with them is to stand by an open door/window, snap twice about a second apart, and then quickly point out.

great video, there aren't nearly enough people out there who highlight the beauty, diversity, and intricacies of wasps

I think the “scary” wasps are fascinating too- they’re cool in the same way birds of prey are, efficient hunters on a tiny scale. I work in gardens inches from flowers swarming with hunting and nectaring wasps, and I’ve never been stung. Beautiful video work, people don’t realize the beautiful colors and stunning iridescent, cellophane like wings that these insects have. And they’ve come up with so many ingenious adaptations and life histories to survive in the ecosystem!

Amazing shots! Our crew got on camera wasps that live in symbiosis with figs. The tree depends on the wasp to pollinate its flowers, but in return, it offers a hidden place for the insect to lay its eggs. The footage is incredible!

Wasps feel like the bug version of those angry lookin modern angular cars with v8 engines and road-raging impatient drivers

Wasps are one of my favorite insect groups. Theyre so fascinating and important as both pest control and pollination. We dont realize how much they do for us and their ecosystems by removing a percentage of plant eating insects. Theyre so beautiful and diverse and fascinating. And mostly chill! I spend a lot of time observing them in my yard for fun, and ive yet to be stung. My favorite groups are probably Sphecids and Mutillids, but there are many many amazing and beautiful wasps out there. Edit: this is like the most Wasp-positive comments section ive ever seen! Heck yeah!

Most "pest" wasps over here (western Europe), are pests because they occasionaly sting during foraging. I got over my fear of wasps by feeding them and moving slowly, and predictable. Works exactly the same way with wild horses, funnily enough. If you get scared, and move fast, you might be seen as a threat. Move slow and confident, and they won't harm you. If you are allergic, take care, and a epipen. I've got a small pupae cabinet, of Aglais Io butterflies, probably infected by parasitoid wasps. Would have liked them to grow up as butterflies, but they have become food. Got stung by the nettles, which I foraged for food. Such is nature. And life as a whole.

I so very much enjoy your videos. They are wonder-fully done and opening up a whole new world for my exploration. I am enormously grateful.❤

Simply fascinating! I'd love to see damselflies and dragonflies in flight!

Wasps are amazing. You got me taking a closer look in our garden. 17 different species so far. Some large (Great Golden Digger) and some small (Blue Eyed Ensing). Thanks

One of my most cherished entomological moments was seeing a whole bunch of giant ichneumon wasps ovipositing into an old dead tree with pigeon horntail holes. Their ovipositors are so insanely long, to get them positioned right to go into the tree, they have to suck the ovipositor out of its sheath and coil it up inside their abdomen, where it stretches out a yellow membrane. Once they've finished ovipositing, the whole process starts over again as they coil up the ovipositor to pull it out of the trunk. Best hour I ever spent staring at a tree! I was also excited to see the Trogus, as I have a special fondness for them. I've reared quite a few spicebush swallowtail caterpillars and gotten Trogus sp. wasps out of them twice. They are truly elegant and as lovely as the butterflies!

Wow! I didn’t know sawflies were at all related to bees, wasps or ants despite them being hymenopterans. Also, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the slo-no shots you get to capture! Truly amazing and unique stuff!!

Where I work, I am very open for my love and fascination of wasps. I even managed to convince some people theyre cute. One person dismissed them as wannabees, but then I told him that its most likely the other way around, in that bees are wannawasps. It was enjoyable to see everyones reactions. I hate autocorrect

It’s so cute the way they raise their arms when they took off flying