Mud Dauber Wasp
The mud dauber wasp is solitary in nature and has little aggressiveness still when it comes to building nests with a mere touch of mud. Unlike wasps, the mud daubers are more keen on hunting spiders than on attacking a person. Often distinguished with their unique nesting behavior and slender bodies, the mud dauber is easy enough to identify near your home, shed, or garage.
Mud Wasp Nest
Mud dauber nests look like small clusters of mud tubes, located usually on walls, ceilings, or under eaves. The nests are built by female mud daubers from chewed mud and are meant to hold paralyzed spiders which she leaves behind as food for her larvae. Though harmless, these nests can be an eyesore and need removal in a careful manner.
Do Dirt Dobbers Sting?
Dirt dobbers, also known as mud dauber wasps, can sting, but they usually don’t. These wasps are very calm and not aggressive like other wasps (yellowjacket, hornets). They mostly stay busy building their mud nests and hunting spiders. Dirt dobbers will only sting if they feel trapped or in danger. Most people can safely be around them without any problems. So, while they do have a stinger, they rarely use it on humans.
Mud Dauber Sting
Overall, the mud dauber sting is extremely rare and generally does not cause any concern. These wasps are non-aggressive and will sting only when threatened. Even in stinging, mild irritation, and redness mostly are the symptoms experienced by people which certainly rate them far less dangerous than the more aggressive wasp species.
Blue Mud Dauber
The blue mud dauber is a fine-looking metallic-blue color of this species, preferring black widow spiders as prey. This beneficial insect maintains beneficial insect populations and hardly ever poses a threat to people. Despite an intimidating appearance, the blue mud dauber is gentle and hardly ever stings.
Should I Be Scared Of Mud Dauber Wasps
The short answer to the question, “Should I be scared of mud dauber wasps?” is no. They were actually more interested in hunting spiders and building nests than bothering humans. These wasps are solitary insects that do not swarm nor defend their nests like yellowjackets; therefore, mud daubers arenonchalantly safe in most cases and even helpful sometimes.
Mud Dauber vs Wasp
In the mud dauber and wasp argument, behavior is the primary distinction. Mud daubers have their solitary foraging habits and a never-aggressive attitude, in contrast to the extremely social and frequently-antagonistic behavior of more familiar wasps (like yellowjackets). Mud daubers build mud tube nests, whereas social wasps are more likely to defend a paper-like colony by means of a sting.
