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Posted By: Vada Do Dirt Dauber sting? - June 21st, 2005 at 06:12 AM
I was always told that dirt daubers don't sting. Well my 2 year old caught one ealier still alive and was walking around showing everyone. My 4 year old tried to take it from him and came to me saying ouchie, ouchie, buffly bite me. I asked him where it was and he showed me the same dirt dauber my 2 year old had. I went to take it from him and he had a stinger popping in and out of his bottom like he was trying to sting. I am guessing since the stinger was still trying to sting that it didn't get my son but just poked him, but I am wonderin if this is something I need to worry about. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Duh
Posted By: MaryReboakly Re: Do Dirt Dauber sting? - June 21st, 2005 at 10:04 AM
Hey Vada, I had to check this out so I did some digging. I just noticed a dirt dauber nest on the garbage can right inside my shed door. It seemed to appear overnight, and it may well have. Anyway, from what I've read, they seem to be unlikely to sting. I'd worry more about bees/wasps than these guys. Here's some of the stuff I found

here\'s one page I found

and I found this on another site:

<i>Wasps and bees can be classified as solitary or social depending on whether they live alone or in colonies. Solitary species such as cicada killers, carpenter bees, digger wasps and mud daubers use their stingers to subdue the insects and spiders upon which they prey. These insects are normally quite docile and rarely attack people. Social bees and wasps such as yellowjackets, paper wasps and honey bees use their stingers and venom as defensive weapons.</i>

and this

<i>Mud daubers sting only if pinned against the skin. They are beneficial except for their unsightly mud nests, which often are placed around human habitation. Undesirable nests should be knocked down and the residual soil washed off with water and a brush</i>

I hope that eases your mind a bit! wink
Posted By: Vada Re: Do Dirt Dauber sting? - June 21st, 2005 at 11:07 AM
Thanks, my mom told me it was probably a guinea wasp, but he didn't swell up or anything and hasn't complained about it hurting. It was just wierd. I was letting them play with it because I didn't think it would hurt them. Letting them explore playing with bugs, like little boys do.
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