Buzzing with Fear: Understanding and Overcoming Spheksophobia

Why Am I So Afraid of Wasps?

A wasp is a wasp, right? Bright yellow and black striped insects with a clear mission: to ruin our picnics, drink our fizzy pop and sting us should we dare to intervene – heaven forbid that we enjoy our jam sandwiches and take in the sunshine in peace!

Obviously, that’s not the real story behind what we tend to consider the most vicious of insects, however, the story above is how so many of us consider our encounters with wasps. To that point, it’s easy to understand why people get annoyed or stressed at the thought of wasps.

Should the distraction cause specific anxiety and distress, you might be suffering from spheksophobia or a fear of wasps. If you have spheksophobia it is highly likely that you also have a general fear of insects, known as entomophobia, as well as mysophobia, the fear of pain.

Despite your stress or fear of wasps, it can all be overcome and what we find at Creature Courage is that most people don’t know what wasps do or why they do it, so we’ve written this article to help you being the process of pushing past your fears and learning to live with, or at least tolerate, these interesting insects!

The Origins of Wasp Phobia

Going back to that picnic analogy, a fear of wasps typically starts from a negative childhood experience with wasps – the little critter is trying to reach over the edge of your fizzy pop glass and you wave an arm out, catching it as it tries to duck out the way. Then, it arrows into your forearm and BANG, you feel that pain we’re all too familiar with. Of course, getting stung by a wasp is a clear, and actually an extreme, example but being witness to a loved one being stung by a wasp, or seeing something scary or negative in a film about wasps can often be enough to trigger a fear response. That said, if you’ve ever seen a good wasp film, please, let me know…!

As just alluded to, getting stung by a wasp is quite rare. You’re only likely to be stung once every 20 years on average. However, when we first encounter wasps as children is when we are most likely to be stung, which is perhaps why spheksophobia is one of the most common and embedded phobias.

How a Fear of Wasps could Develop

It’s one of those rare British summer days: the sun is high, there’s not a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze is making it perfect for sitting on a blanket, enjoying a picnic with your family and friends. There’s a good spread of food and drink, some half finished on cast aside paper plates. You’re chatting and sipping on fizz when, suddenly, a buzzing sound cuts through the conversation. Of course, a wasp, attracted by the sweet scent of discarded food and popping fizzy drinks, begins its approach. The carefree atmosphere instantly changes. People sit-up and start randomly swatting and ducking away from the circling wasp. Enjoyable discussion turns to fearful shrieks and all-round discomfort.

This scene is, I’m sure, familiar to many and it demonstrates how deeply ingrained our fear of wasps is. Insect and animal phobias often have a particular trigger but it’s not often that one single and memorable trigger is so easily defined as with wasps.

Swatting, as we all know but simply can’t help, often leads to the wasp feeling like it is under attack and, sooner or later, someone gets stung!

Do I Have Spheksophobia?

At the extreme end, those with spheksophobia may choose to stay indoors on those sunny days when wasps are most likely to be active. Yet, those suffering with a milder-form of Spheksophobia may still avoid going out to places such as parks, may consciously avoid florist’s shops, or places that have a lot of trees, flowers, or plants.

The fear of wasps is likely more intense than the fear of bees, as bees have a more friendly reputation – I don’t think you’d sell quite as much cereal with a picture of a wasp on the front, nevertheless people with spheksophobia often have a bee phobia as well.

Symptoms of Wasp Phobia

People with spheksophobia usually get into a flight or fight mode when they encounter a wasp. Most usually, fleeing the scene if they can push themselves enough to encounter a wasp in the first place! They may also suffer from numerous symptoms upon encountering wasps, including:

The urge to flee but remaining paralysed due to fear
Feeling their heartbeat race from the anxiety
A light-headed or dizziness
Nausea or sickness
Often feeling like nothing else exists beyond the perceived battle with the wasp, a detachment from the world around them
An intractable belief that wasps are only out to harm or kill them

Panic attacks are the most common symptom as phobic individuals often experience a sense of powerlessness against the pressing fear – it’s important to note that while these reactions may seem extreme, they are very real and distressing for those experiencing them.

These symptoms are not borne by the wasp but carried by our feeling of how they interact with the world and what their real purpose is. Yes, with one of those questions: why do wasps even exist…?

Understanding Wasps: More Than Just a Nuisance

Despite their fearsome reputation, wasps provide several benefits to local ecology that are frequently unappreciated. Here are some fascinating facts about wasps:

Wasps are impressive predators that prey upon many other harmful insects that can damage our crops. Due to this, they can be used by farmers as a chemical-free form of pest control.
Wasps, like bees, play a role in plant pollination, in fact, some plants rely exclusively on wasps for pollination.
Did you know that wasps know how to make paper? They chew up bark and regurgitate it into building materials for their nests, creating intricate structures that can house a population of thousands.
No wasp actively seeks aggression against humans and very few actually retaliate at our attempts to squish them. Their occasional aggressive behaviour is usually only a defensive response to what it perceives as an immediate threat.
Wasps have a complex social structure and communicate using pheromones and even visual cues to help convey information to their nest.

Identifying Wasps: Not All Buzzing Insects Are the Same

Learning to identify wasps can help in managing your fear. Here are some key differences between wasps and bees:

Wasps are more slender, with a smooth body and a narrow waist.
Wasps have brighter colouring, often with vivid yellow and black stripes. However, some wasp species are red, brown, and even metallic blue!
Wasps’ nests are typically made from a regurgitated paper-like material, while bees’ hives are made of wax.
Wasps’ wings fold lengthwise whilst at rest, maintaining that sleek and narrow appearance at all times.

Types of Wasps

As you can see, there are a variety of wasps beyond the well-known yellow and black, but it might come as some surprise to find out that there are over 30,000 identified species of wasps – I kid you not. However, the ones you’re most likely to encounter are:

Yellow Jacket: known for their distinctive yellow and black stripes.
Hornet: larger than yellow jackets, with some species reaching up to a massive 2 inches in length.
Paper Wasp: named after their paper-like nests, often found in the eaves and overhangs of buildings.
Mud Dauber: solitary wasps that build nests out of mud.
Cicada Killer: very large wasps that prey on cicadas but rarely sting humans.

Wasp Behavior: Understanding the Sting

It’s important to understand that wasps do not actively seek out humans to sting. They primarily use their stingers for hunting prey and in self-defence. Unlike bees, wasps are capable of stinging multiple times. However, they will still not sting indiscriminately, rarely doing so unless threatened or their nest is disturbed. But, yes, it hurts regardless of the reason!

When a wasp does sting, it injects venom that causes the pain, swelling, and in rare cases, an allergic reaction. For most people, a wasp sting is painful, yes, but not dangerous. Yet, for those with allergies, a sting can be genuinely life-threatening, which contributes to the fear many people have of wasps.

Again, it’s important to state that less than 3% of the population have any sort of allergy to wasp stings and the average person is only likely to be stung once or twice in their whole life!

Overcoming Your Fear: How to Treat Wasp Phobia

If you suffer from an extreme or irrational fear of wasps, there is help available and Creature Courage offers a full range of options to help you overcome your wasp phobia:

Hypnosis: One of the most tried and tested methods of treating any phobia. In a hypnotic state, affected individuals are brought into a sense of relaxation and peace. From there, you can be better helped to evaluate the stress or the underlying traumatic event catalysing your phobia (though, hypnosis is unlikely to remove your fear for life, unlike some of the options below. Although it is often a good place to start to find a relaxed and receptive position to get the most out of the full therapy process.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP): This form of psychotherapy aims to detect the brain’s faulty-matching ability, which leads to the fight or flight response. NLP can successfully help you ward off the symptoms of spheksophobia.
Self-help techniques: This is not going to eradicate your wasp fear but by including techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or positive visualisation before you might encounter wasps (or at the sight of wasps) can help you remain calm and under control. Further, practising self-help techniques regularly, whilst away from stress responses, can help you quickly reach a calmer state when encountering such a situation.
Exposure therapy: Gradually exposing yourself to wasps within a controlled environment can help desensitise you to their presence. This might start by simply looking at pictures of wasps, progressing to watching videos, and eventually observing live wasps from a safe distance. It might sound far-fetched but with the right therapy and coach alongside you, it’s perfectly achievable.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): This therapy helps you identify and change negative thought patterns associated with wasps, replacing them with more rational, less fear-inducing thoughts.

Taking Control: How to Overcome Fear of Wasps

Fear can be crippling, particularly at inopportune moments. Trying to adapt your life to the possibility of encountering wasps can be embarrassing and, certainly, inconvenient. Phobias can take over your life, but now it’s time for you to take control.

Education is a powerful tool in overcoming fear and it is something we heavily extol. The more you understand about wasps, their behaviour, and their role in our ecosystem, the less frightening they are likely to seem.

So, if you’re struggling with a fear of wasps or any other insect phobia, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. With the right support and techniques, you can learn to manage your fear and enjoy the outdoors without constant anxiety.

FAQ: Common Questions About Wasp Phobia

What is the phobia of wasps called? The phobia or fear of wasps is called spheksophobia.
How can I help someone with a wasp phobia? Be understanding and patient. Encourage them to seek professional help, and avoid forcing them into situations where wasps are likely to be present. Support their efforts to learn more about wasps and practice relaxation techniques.
Are wasps dangerous? While wasps can sting and their venom can cause pain, and allergic reactions in some people, they are not inherently dangerous. Most wasps will only sting if they feel threatened or if their nest is disturbed.
Do wasps bite or sting? Wasps sting rather than bite. They use their stinger, located at the end of their abdomen, to inject venom.
How can I safely remove a wasp nest? It’s best not to even try. Call a professional pest control service to remove a wasp’s nest. Remember, a wasp nest will house a great number of wasps and they will, undoubtedly, try and defend their home. It could get very painful.
Is my fear of wasps irrational? A healthy respect for wasps is normal, but if your fear significantly impacts your daily life or causes extreme anxiety, it may be considered irrational. There’s probably a perfectly understandable reason as to why you have a fear of wasps but if it impacts on your day-to-day life seeking help from a mental health professional will be beneficial.