Are Wasps More Likely to Sting Men than Women

Abstract

Three groups of Conservation Corps workers in 3 different years recorded the number of times they were stung by. Vespula wasps while surveying wasp nests in the Nelson/Marlborough area. On average, males were stung 3 times more often than females. There was little difference in the median number of stings received by each work group, but in years when wasp density was higher the workers tended to receive more stings. We suggest that human behavioural differences are largely responsible for the differences in the prevalence of stings between the sexes, but it is possible that other factors such as odours also influence the likelihood of being stung.

Keywords:

• Vespula
• wasp sting
• human