Wasps

This does not seem to be the case in the microcosm that is my back yard.

I have at least 3 species of honeybees and 3 of bumblebees too. They come out as soon as the frost is gone, while there is only one type of wasp which is around for a bit at the end of summer. Yet every instance of coming across a wasp has been a agressive one, or at least they seem to love flying into my face.

The bees however keep to themselves. I have to walk past two blossoming trees to get to my shed.They are loaded with hundreds of bees. I brush past them flickng the branches as I go. Yet not one even lands on me.

Those bees are busy. If wasps were sitting on those branches, they wouldn't react much, either. As I said above, wasps seem more threatening to people for a number of reasons. Human becomes afraid and hits out or makes other aggressive movements. Wasp feels threatened. Wasp attempts to sting.

Wasps seem to react to human movement in an aggressive way that bees do not.

See feedback mechanism above.

Oliver's putting it out there about just loving them, which is very sensible and sound, but he didn't get stung on the forehead.

Yes, I've never been stung by a wasp. I've never had the misfortune of stepping on one or into a nest, and the rest of the time I've made sure I didn't threaten them. Simple. And I've spent a lot of time getting very close to wasps and having a close look at them, as I think they're beautiful things. It's perfectly safe to do that. I can only recommend that everyone do this sometime to overcome their fear of wasps. And by all means try just sitting still the next time you feel threatened. Put a beermat over your glass and just wait for the wasp to go away. It will lose interest soon and disappear.