# Need help with an insect problem.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-an-insect-problem/116482>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 29, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-an-insect-problem/116482 "2002-06-29T00:21:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DifferentChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DifferentChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DifferentChild)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-an-insect-problem/116482/1 "2002-06-29T00:21:30Z")

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Hey I was walking out of my house one day and I look up and I see all these wasps flying into the light fixture I have above me so I walk away faster then normal so I don’t get stung. I come back again later and I forget about it and I walk up and I hear something so I look up and I see a bunch of them but I look closer and they don’t look like regular wasps, they are completely black. There is no color in them at all. So I was wondering if anyone has any idea what it is. If they just haven’t gotten their color yet, or they are killer wasps or what. I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-an-insect-problem/116482/2 "2002-06-29T00:41:10Z")

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[Dirt dauber.](http://www.bartleby.com/61/40/M0464000.html)

Mr. Kitty _insists_ they don’t sting, but I don’t believe him. They still make me tremendously nervous.

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**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-an-insect-problem/116482/3 "2002-06-29T01:51:35Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by bobkitty \*  
> \*\*[Dirt dauber.](http://www.bartleby.com/61/40/M0464000.html)
> 
> Mr. Kitty _insists_ they don’t sting, but I don’t believe him. They still make me tremendously nervous. \*\*

“Dirt” or “mud” dauber wasps certainly DO sting. My advice is to get a can of raid wasp spray & have at. But do take precautions, like wearing a long sleeved shirt and gloves.

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**Author:** ![Anomalocaris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Anomalocaris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomalocaris)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-an-insect-problem/116482/4 "2002-06-29T03:40:03Z")

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Mud daubers are capable of stinging, but aren’t aggressive and rarely do. They are also solitary wasps, only building small golf ball-sized nests to lay their eggs in, so you aren’t likely to see them in large numbers.