# Wasp stings

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-stings/203222>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 23, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-stings/203222 "2003-09-23T01:32:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-stings/203222/1 "2003-09-23T01:32:48Z")

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So is it the female wasps that sting protecting their nests, and the male wasps are off somewhere drinking tiny litle beers?

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-stings/203222/2 "2003-09-23T03:12:14Z")

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Worse, the males are out sipping mead (assuming mead actually _was_ made from honey).

Yes, only the female stings. The stinger in wasps and bees is an adaptation of the ovipositor, so only (potentially) egg laying critters have them.