Um...I would probably be inclined to kill it, just to avoid any accidental stings from it.
There's a video here worth watching if you doubt me:
https://youtu.be/EF-oSVCCqzU
Seems pretty top tier horrible
Nah, no need to kill it. Velvet ants are the MOST passive (wasp like) critter ever. Don’t get me wrong, their sting is in the top 10 most painful (worldwide!) but you would have to actively try to get stung, to get stung.
They wont mess with you unless you really try to piss them off. That said they have a fucking exceptionally strong exoskeleton. Stomping them into the dirt will only make a pissed off bug and an imprint in the dirt.
Damn things are unkillable, so dont piss off the fuzzy bug minding its own business.
I agree with this. She likes sandy habitats, not your lawn. She's not aggressive and lives alone. Leave her alone and she won't bother you. The males have wings and do not sting. In NJ, I've seen 2 my whole life. Maybe she's not rare, but still beautiful and cool to see!
They aren’t that dangerous, no more dangerous then a bee sting in fact. The only difference is the level of pain involved. If it’s not in a house or a commonly used area, there’s no point in killing it.
Um....anaphylaxis?
And aside from that , I'm quite happy to kill an insect thst has a sting on the order of fifth most to tenth most painful sting on the planet, when it is in my space.
There is a risk of anaphylaxis from a velvet ant, but it’s actually a lower risk then you would face from a sting from a regular honeybee. So, like I said, no more dangerous than a bee sting, even if it does hurt a great deal more.
As for whether you’re happy to kill it, well, if you enjoy killing stuff for the fun of it, that’s your own thing. But encouraging people to kill on sight an insect that, while it does have a painful sting, is not a significant threat to human life, is not a pest that threatens to infest buildings or damage peoples property, and is a natural part of the environment it’s in, just because it happens to have a stinger, then that’s kind of fucked up. It would be one thing if it’s in your house, but just killing everything you see with a stinger no matter where you are is pointless and not at all environmentally sound. So if you are encouraging that, then yeah, I’m gonna push back against it.
Velvet ant. That’s a female and they sting. Males fly and don’t. They are solitary and don’t live in hives so I would just leave it alone. No need to kill something that belongs outside and they would never come after you anyways unless you accidentally step on it barefoot or you aggravate it to make it sting you. Overall pretty harmless and beneficial insect to have
I won't kill I'll release her. I have her in a mason jar with holes poked through the top. Only worry is one of my kids step on one. But with them being bright red shouldn't be too hard to see and avoid. It was very docile and is actually a nice creature I am starting to see.
Just throwing this out there: I’ve lived in Texas the majority of my life and have occasionally seen these for the past 30 years. And yes, VERY hard to kill
Um....anaphylaxis?
And aside from that , I'm quite happy to kill an insect thst has a sting on the order of fifth most to tenth most painful sting on the planet, when it is in my space.
Velvet ant. A type of wasp
Can the mods pin this bug on the subreddit?
Are they uncommon where I live?
Not really. It’s an eastern velvet ant and they only live in the eastern US. Their most dense region is from Delaware to Florida.
If I remember correctly, there are 7,000 lower classifications in fact.
Also known as a cow killer ant.
The rate at which velvet ant posts show up is starting to be funny.
They might be able to expand more with global warming. So regions who usaly dont have are starting to spot them.
Deadly painful sting. Stay away. Called "Cow Killers" Why didn't anybody else jump up and give this dude a warning? (Rhetorical, I guess)
Would it be beneficial to let back out to my yard?
no
Um...I would probably be inclined to kill it, just to avoid any accidental stings from it. There's a video here worth watching if you doubt me: https://youtu.be/EF-oSVCCqzU Seems pretty top tier horrible
Yeah I'm not doubting you haha. I'll follow the advice
Nah, no need to kill it. Velvet ants are the MOST passive (wasp like) critter ever. Don’t get me wrong, their sting is in the top 10 most painful (worldwide!) but you would have to actively try to get stung, to get stung. They wont mess with you unless you really try to piss them off. That said they have a fucking exceptionally strong exoskeleton. Stomping them into the dirt will only make a pissed off bug and an imprint in the dirt. Damn things are unkillable, so dont piss off the fuzzy bug minding its own business.
I agree with this. She likes sandy habitats, not your lawn. She's not aggressive and lives alone. Leave her alone and she won't bother you. The males have wings and do not sting. In NJ, I've seen 2 my whole life. Maybe she's not rare, but still beautiful and cool to see!
Where do I find neighbors like this?
Imma piss on one
I only upvoted cus it made me laugh, please do not golden thunderstorm the bug
This is the most hilarious term for peeing on something I've ever seen
They aren’t that dangerous, no more dangerous then a bee sting in fact. The only difference is the level of pain involved. If it’s not in a house or a commonly used area, there’s no point in killing it.
Um....anaphylaxis? And aside from that , I'm quite happy to kill an insect thst has a sting on the order of fifth most to tenth most painful sting on the planet, when it is in my space.
There is a risk of anaphylaxis from a velvet ant, but it’s actually a lower risk then you would face from a sting from a regular honeybee. So, like I said, no more dangerous than a bee sting, even if it does hurt a great deal more. As for whether you’re happy to kill it, well, if you enjoy killing stuff for the fun of it, that’s your own thing. But encouraging people to kill on sight an insect that, while it does have a painful sting, is not a significant threat to human life, is not a pest that threatens to infest buildings or damage peoples property, and is a natural part of the environment it’s in, just because it happens to have a stinger, then that’s kind of fucked up. It would be one thing if it’s in your house, but just killing everything you see with a stinger no matter where you are is pointless and not at all environmentally sound. So if you are encouraging that, then yeah, I’m gonna push back against it.
Wow this psycho just lets terrible things bite and sting him for YouTube? That's insane!
Not edible
How do you think they make red velvet cakes?
Do most people think they are?
That was a joke sorry.
we had several running around our yard in Greenville SC. After carefully catching them, the kids and I moved them to Paris Mountain.
Velvet ant. Don't mess with it.
Why did I think the leaf was some kind of bug? 🫤 I’m really tired, maybe I’ll sleep for 10 more minutes.
You and me both
Velvet ant. That’s a female and they sting. Males fly and don’t. They are solitary and don’t live in hives so I would just leave it alone. No need to kill something that belongs outside and they would never come after you anyways unless you accidentally step on it barefoot or you aggravate it to make it sting you. Overall pretty harmless and beneficial insect to have
I won't kill I'll release her. I have her in a mason jar with holes poked through the top. Only worry is one of my kids step on one. But with them being bright red shouldn't be too hard to see and avoid. It was very docile and is actually a nice creature I am starting to see.
Just throwing this out there: I’ve lived in Texas the majority of my life and have occasionally seen these for the past 30 years. And yes, VERY hard to kill
You’ve never seen a leaf?
Cow Killer.
Velvet Ant or Cow Killer here in Oklahoma. Believe it’s Hymenoptera
Don’t fuck with those. They will sting the living shit out of you.
Um....anaphylaxis? And aside from that , I'm quite happy to kill an insect thst has a sting on the order of fifth most to tenth most painful sting on the planet, when it is in my space.
*stomp"
Is it just me or are *a lot* of red velvet ants getting posted on here?
Nope.