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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

GETTING UPSET OVER A WASP???

296 replies

Flavourofthemonth123 · 01/01/2019 04:49

So I was over at a friend's house today with our two LO's this afternoon for a lil New Year's celebration (mostly for them, I find new years a bit naff). We were sitting there and all of a sudden a wasp flew at her child (I was mostly shocked to see one in December!) I swatted it down on the floor and stepped on the bastard (it was on the kitchen tiles, so no squishy bug remains mushed into the carpet.) She was a little bit upset that I squashed the wasp in front of her child, saying she doesn't condone killing bugs. I said that a wasp is different from a spider or a snail because they can sting the LO's (I also squash other bugs lol but that's not the point!)

It wasn't a huge deal but I was just surprised at her reaction! Am I alone in thinking that getting upset over a dead wasp is a bit unreasonable? If there was one hoovering around your little one would you hesitate to smoosh him??

OP posts:
TheClaws · 01/01/2019 04:52

If there was one hoovering around my child, I’d catch it, sell it to a museum and make my fortune Grin

TheClaws · 01/01/2019 04:54

Otherwise, I’d just try and move it away rather than kill it. They tend to get defensive when threatened.

gobbynorthernbird · 01/01/2019 04:54

I would not squash anything that was cleaning my floors for me.

AGHHHH · 01/01/2019 04:56

It sounds like a total non-issue and she didn't cause a scene, just made a comment...

claraschu · 01/01/2019 04:57

I hate it when people kill bugs, and yes, I think it sets a horrible example for children.

Rockmysocks · 01/01/2019 05:05

Am with Claws except I'd bring it home to vac round my house.

Elllicam · 01/01/2019 05:05

I also don’t kill insects and I would be annoyed if my children started thinking it was ok to kill them.

DoctorTwo · 01/01/2019 05:13

I'm with @gobbynorthernbird, if it's doing my vacuuming I'll leave it alone.Otherwise I'll batter the fuck out of it.

Original poster
Flavourofthemonth123 · 01/01/2019 06:35

I assure you @DoctorTwo that the wasp was doing no cleaning when he was unceremoniously squished!

OP posts:
JustJoinedRightNow · 01/01/2019 06:41

I agree with Ellicam. We don’t kill insects in our family and I would be upset if my children thought it was ok to kill them first, rather than just move away.

purplerainbows · 01/01/2019 07:04

Personally I wouldn't have killed it

Ellisandra · 01/01/2019 07:04

I’d think you were an over dramatic arsehole.
I would teach my child to deal with wasps in a way that was more likely to get them stung.
I wouldn’t teach my child that it was OK to just kill.
I wouldn’t teach my child to be a drama queen and turn into one of those pathetic people who go all “oh no - a wasp - drama”.

Ellisandra · 01/01/2019 07:07

Incidentally, I have a non anaphylactic reaction to wasp stings that had me hospitalised and on steroids for swelling once.

My child still knows that the way to deal with a wasp is calmly, and we’ve yet to kill one.

nippey · 01/01/2019 07:23

I would be upset if you killed a wasp (or any bug) around my DD. I teach her to move them or move away from them, not kill them!

theplot · 01/01/2019 07:32

I wouldn't have killed the wasp and instead tried to direct it outside. That said, my boyfriend is still upset about the two huntsman spiders that I've insisted we kill 🙄 they were BIGGER THAN MY HAND 😱

DrunkUnicorn · 01/01/2019 07:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SixButterflies · 01/01/2019 07:40

That would have upset me. Deliberately killing things like that is rather vile, especially around children.
Very cavalier of you to say "smoosh". I can see what kind of person you are right there.

DaphneDiligaf · 01/01/2019 07:47

What would you do if you had a wasp nest in your house send them an eviction notice?

BucketLid · 01/01/2019 07:55

Wow, can't believe the reactions on here! It's an insect, of course it's OK to smoosh it!

TroubledMuchly · 01/01/2019 08:02

YABVU

Absolutely not okay.

People who kill insects are not my kind of people, I wouldn't be friends with you.

It's so, so easy to deal with wasp and take it outside. You're setting a rather nasty example.

Horrible.

littlepeas · 01/01/2019 08:08

I was always taught that everything is entitled to its life and am teaching my dc the same. That said, I was stung on the beach Boxing Day - the bastard just came over and did it, no flapping about or provocation and I’ve always thought they leave you alone unless you bother them - so I might not be so sympathetic in future!

Llioed · 01/01/2019 08:24

Funny that some posters accuse OP of being dramatic yet also saying shit like saying “if you killed a wasp in front of my child you wouldn’t be my friend” Hmm

If a wasp went near my child I would at first try to remove it (direct it towards an open window) but if that was not possible I would then kill it. Anything else (e.g. bees, spiders, etc) I can remove calmly as they don’t bother me, but not wasps. If someone killed a wasp in front of my child, it would not make me upset nor would I threaten to no longer be their friend.

OP - you did what you thought was the right thing. However you won’t get others agreeing with you.

Believeitornot · 01/01/2019 08:28

If you put a wasp outside in December it’ll probably die unless it found somewhere to hibernate again.

pineapplepenthouse · 01/01/2019 08:34

I would have definitely killed it too! It’s a wasp Hmm

knittedmouse · 01/01/2019 08:34

Wasps are part of the ecosystem and are also pollinators. I don't kill them and if you remain calm around them they're fine. If my child was highly allergic I might feel differently, but mindlessly killing is a bad thing.